Good Girl Gone Bad
by silenceeverything
Summary: Hanna Marin's spent her life thinking she knows herself. But when her boyfriend's parents foster the new bad boy in town, she starts to realise the true meaning of self-discovery. Feelings and emotions throw the thickness of blood and water into question yet answers will only become clear once Hanna and Caleb realise it isn't just themselves they're trying to find. Haleb, rated T/M
1. I

**Hello dear readers. I asked you not too long ago what story you wanted to see me write next. This one won and I am so excited to finally post it.**

 **This is a story about self-discovery and self-acceptance - not just for Hanna and Caleb, but for other characters too. It's going to be light and dark and hot and cold and I hope you're all going to enjoy it as much as Restraints and Growth. I know I am.**

 **Without further ado...**

* * *

 **I**

* * *

Hanna Marin was used to being the _it_ girl. Pretty and popular, when she walked down the school hallways every girl turned to see what skirt she was wearing and every boy turned to see how short that skirt was. And now that she was a senior… well that just meant she really was queen bee. There was nobody else above her in the social hierarchy, and that was just. how. she liked it.

She'd lived in Rosewood her entire life, in the same house, in the same bedroom. Everyone knew who her family was and everybody knew who she was. Her mother was on the PTA, her father essentially funded the annual Founder's Festival; they were… prominent to say the least in the local community. With prominence came expectation and as the only child of the Marin's, if she was honest with herself, she was still trying to balance the weight of that expectation with reality. It was a work in progress, but one that she was comfortable was heading in the right direction. For the first time in a long time, she was starting to finally feel comfortable with who she was and where her life was going.

She was going to graduate High School, go to her father's Alma Mata, Cornell in New York and she was going to do whatever was needed to ensure they were proud of her. Of course, a husband and baby would be needed. She'd doubted that would ever happen until recently, but now she was sure she'd found somebody who'd make long distance work, who understood everything she had to do, who'd _knew_ her.

Hanna sighed happily as she pulled open her school locker, looking at a picture of her and Sean Ackard at prom. After she'd finally lost the pounds that had clung to her hips, he'd finally taken an interest in her over summer and now they were navigating the paths of a teenage relationship that was under the spotlight of parents and the entire student body.

Because if people weren't convinced of Hanna Marin's _it_ girl status before, then dating Sean Ackard was the final diamond in her crown. He was the pastor's son, star football player, straight A student who had every single person who attended Rosewood High in the palm of his hand. Nothing was going to take that away from her. _Nothing_ she thought, blinking her eyes shut as she stood at her open locker.

"Hey Han," A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts and when she opened her eyes, she was unsurprised to see her best friend, Spencer Hastings approaching her. "Are you coming to Noel's tonight?" She asked, watching Hanna reapply her lip-gloss in the mirror.

Hanna tried to hold in a snort as she thought about Noel Kahn. She'd always thought he was a walking oxymoron; star player on the football team with Sean, but drug taker and alcohol obsessed who was slowly destroying his hopes of a scholarship. His parties were infamous for getting out of hand.

"I can't," Hanna pouted, throwing her makeup into her bag.

Spencer rolled her eyes as Hanna smiled and began to stare off into the distance dreamily. "Let me guess, you're seeing Sean?"

"Sean's new foster brother's been there for a week now and he wants me to meet him before he starts school on Monday," Hanna explained as she slammed her locker shut and began to walk towards the exit with Spencer at her side.

"His parents are fostering again?" Spencer raised an eyebrow as they headed towards Hanna's silver Mercedes.

"Sean said this guy's 18 in like 4 months, it's not like they're planning on adopting him."

Spencer snorted, "They've adopted every child that's walked through their door."

Hanna rolled her eyes as she unlocked her car, "Which is two. Apparently they're the last hope for the boy," She replied, "Sean said he heard the social worker saying they caught him smoking _coke_."

Spencer laughed at Hanna's incredulous look, "Sounds like a real bad boy." She said wryly as Hanna paused at her car door. "I'm pretty sure Sean's done coke with Noel at a party," Spencer told her incredulously.

"Sean and Noel are friends because they play football together," Hanna corrected her, "But Sean's not into that stuff," She argued, "He doesn't even drink that much," She added, shooting Spencer a look that told her it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Really?" Spencer remarked sarcastically, frowning at her best friend. She could be so deluded when it came to Sean sometimes. "Well you're gonna miss out on a great party. Emily's stolen vodka from her parent's liquor cabinet," She yelled as Hanna climbed into her car and waved goodbye, completely ignoring her.

She flicked her CD on and shook her head as Katy Perry began to blast out, thinking about the troubled teenager who was moving into her boyfriend's house for the foreseeable future and the party that she was most definitely _not_ going to tonight. "Not for girls like me," She muttered to herself, "Definitely not."

* * *

Later that evening, Hanna found herself stood outside the Ackard's front door as she waited to be let in. She was so glad to be out of her house; as soon as she'd walked through the door she'd heard her parents arguing. And when she'd tried to disappear upstairs to avoid them and anything they had to say, her Mom had decided to take safe haven in her room as she got ready. That had led to comments about what necklace and shoes went best with her dress, which unsurprisingly were the complete opposite of what Hanna had envisioned. She'd walked out of the house in it to please her, but as soon as she'd been in the car she'd whipped the necklace off and switched her heels for the emergency pair she kept in the trunk.

She took a deep breath and tried to banish the negative energy as she heard footsteps approaching the front door. "Hello sweetheart," Helen Ackard opened the door, "Come on in, John's just about to serve up."

"Sorry I'm late," Hanna apologized immediately. They were the last people she wanted to disappoint.

"No, no dear," Helen smiled at her, "You're bang on time."

"Hanna!" A high-pitched voice called as a blur of blonde curls appeared.

"Hey P," Hanna greeted six-year-old Penelope Ackard with open arms as the little girl ran at her and leapt into her arms.

"I've got a new brother," She whispered excitedly as Hanna picked her up.

"You do?" Hanna gasped, "What's he like?" She brushed one of her curls back from the front of her face.

"He doesn't play ponies," She murmured solemnly, pouting her lips as Sean came over to greet them.

"Hey Hanna banana," He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Penny, you know what Mom's said about being nice to Caleb," He chastised his little sister, shaking his head knowingly with a smile on his face.

"But I just want him to play ponies," She exclaimed sadly before wriggling down from Hanna's arms and trotting off to find her parents in the kitchen. Hanna tried to ignore how it irked her when Sean kissed her forehead instead of her lips and just expected her to follow him into the kitchen rather than take her hand, but it did. She was trying really hard to make sure she was good enough.

Helen and John ushered her to sit down with a Diet Coke and sent Sean upstairs to go and get the mysterious foster brother as they were entertained by Penny's conversation about what had happened at school that day. Hanna took a moment to take in her surroundings; she was convinced that if there was anyone who could sort out a bad boy and get him right back on track before he became a fully-fledged independent adult, it was Sean's parents. They had the perfect home that was so welcoming and so happy. She didn't doubt they'd try their hardest and whatever they needed from her, she'd be ready to give it to them.

The floorboards creaked bringing everyone's attention to the dining room doorway. Hanna didn't know what to expect but somehow her breath caught in her throat as she took in the chestnut-haired being that lingered a few feet away.

He was a bad boy. A _real_ bad boy. Okay… well he was a real bad boy by Rosewood's standards.

He was dressed almost completely in black apart from that stupid grey beanie on his head and when she finally connected her eyes with his, she was shocked to see they were almost as dark as the boy's clothes. But they were also a pair of the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. Goddamit she could have sworn she was a blonde-hair-blue-eyes type.

She pulled her dress up around her chest a little and wished in that moment that she'd worn something more conservative. She almost shuddered when he smirked at her with a look that made her feel like he knew all her dirty secrets already. She was definitely avoiding him at all costs, she thought, as she pulled her eyes away and played with her hair awkwardly. Nobody should have made her feel _that_ on edge.

"Hanna, this is Caleb," Sean said, completely oblivious to the way his foster brother was staring at his girlfriend.

"Hey," Hanna forced out as Caleb stalked over and sat opposite her, tugging his beanie down over his mop of dark hair.

Helen Ackard smiled warmly at Caleb as she watched him pour himself a glass of water. "Caleb honey, you know we don't wear hats at the table," She said gently but pointedly, waiting for Caleb to remove the material covering his hair. Hanna watched him pull that ridiculous smirk that made her stomach turn with unease as he pulled his beanie off and pushed it down onto Penny's head next to him.

"Caleb!" She whined, pushing it above her eyes and huffing up at him annoyed.

"Penny, no hats at the table," The Reverend joked, trying not to laugh as his daughter shrugged her shoulders in annoyance and plucked the grey beanie off her curls. He held his hands out above the table for Sean and Penelope to take and closed his eyes as he prepared to say grace.

Hanna couldn't help but glance up under her half-closed eyelashes and watch as Caleb refused to hold hands. He seemed like such an ungrateful brat – did he not realise what Sean's parents were doing for him, she thought angrily.

"Ca- _leb_ ," Penelope demanded in a whisper, holding her hand out expectantly and hunching her shoulders until he gripped her hand.

Hanna sniggered under her breath but quickly shut up when Caleb shot her a glare and squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for Sean's father to bless their meal. Everyone began to eat, but Caleb remained silent throughout. Hanna kept trying to give him subtle glances but no way on earth did she want him to know what she was trying to do – she wanted to get a good look at him; assess where he was going to fit in at school, _her_ school, before he rocked up on Monday morning and just stared at her again.

"Hanna sweetheart," Helen began, "Sean told me you're still struggling with your Math," She said sympathetically as Hanna moved her food around on her plate and tried to wish away that hot blush that was now covering her cheeks. "Caleb's a whiz," She winked at her, "He'd happily tutor you – I've already got him helping Sean," She added, looking at her foster son as he stared down at his half-empty plate.

"Oh yeah," Sean piped up in agreement, "I suddenly get what Mr Pang's been trying to tell us since September," He laughed, scraping the last of his dinner onto his fork and shoveling it in.

"You'll help Hanna, won't you Caleb?" Helen asked, although it wasn't really a question.

"Sure," He replied statically. "May I be excused?" He said, pushing his chair back and not waiting for an answer before stealing his beanie back from Penelope and stalking back upstairs.

Jonathan Ackard smiled at his wife reassuringly, "He's still adjusting," He said before they resumed their normal conversation.

Hanna didn't really know what to say. Or think. Or know how to act. They couldn't have fostered anybody more different from Sean if they'd tried and she didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. And now they expected him to tutor her and Sean in Math. She'd do it for Sean's parents, but right now, she couldn't think of a worse idea.

* * *

Hanna felt like she spent the rest of the weekend being caught up on Noel's party. On Saturday, she'd planned to work on a group assignment for Biology with Sean and Aria Montgomery at Sean's house, but all they wanted to talk about was the ridiculous back flip Noel did into the lake, or the game of Truth that almost broke up Emily Fields and Ben Coogan. Hanna didn't care about 90% of it. She sent a quick text to Emily to ask if she was okay, but in the end, she found herself sitting quietly and just letting them talk.

They didn't seem to notice when she disappeared off to the bathroom and didn't come back for 10 minutes, but she was too consumed with her own thoughts to let it bother her. Caleb didn't make an appearance; she could have sworn she felt his eyes on her, but when she'd whipped her head around to glare at him there'd been nothing but an empty hallway. Aria was intrigued and wanted to meet him, but it wasn't until Monday lunchtime that she actually managed to get a look at the newest addition to the Rosewood High student body.

"Who is that?" She asked with raised eyebrows as she pushed around her plate full of salad.

Hanna and Spencer turned their heads to look at the dark-haired boy who had just sauntered into the cafeteria, looking like he really did not care. Hanna snorted and turned back to her uneaten lunch, " _That_ is Sean's foster brother."

" _That's_ him?" Aria raised her eyebrows.

"Yep." Hanna pushed her salad to the side of her plate and kept her eyes down.

"Is he talking to Noel?" Emily frowned as they tried to covertly watch him. Hanna looked up to see what they were talking about, shivering as her eyes caught Caleb's.

"I guess so."

"He's kinda hot, Han."

"Are you kidding me?" She frowned at Aria, "He looks like he hasn't showered in weeks."

"He's looking over," Emily murmured, "I think he's coming this way."

"I need to go," Hanna didn't give them time to argue before she was out of her seat and heading in the opposite direction and out of the cafeteria. She wanted to see Sean, tell him about who she'd caught Caleb talking to, but she did two laps of the corridors and checked the quad and he was nowhere to be seen. She figured he was in the gym, but there was no way she was heading into that sweaty man-cave just to tell him about a conversation.

She found solace at her locker, stopping to touch up her lips – Sean had actually wanted to make out this morning in his car and she'd felt her gloss was off ever since. It had been a welcome surprise though, and she was by no means complaining. She was ready to move their relationship along and he was finally starting to give her the signs that he was too.

"Hey Princess," Caleb murmured as he approached her locker. He'd been following her around the corridors. He needed to talk to her.

"I didn't realize you had a voice," She snarked, not giving him the satisfaction of having her turn around.

"Feel privileged."

A scowl immediately crossed her face. She didn't understand why Sean had been so desperate for her to look out for him at school, all he did was rile her up and she was pretty sure he was going to be just fine by himself. "I don't."

Caleb rolled his eyes at her prim nature. As soon as he'd come downstairs and seen her, he'd thought she had one of the most perfect faces he'd ever seen. But then she'd been sat there, clearly on edge, clearly trying to make a good impression. He wanted to shake her and tell her to relax, be herself; they only had one life and they had to live it. Hell, he'd known all about being on the brink and coming back. It was petrifying but exhilarating and it had shaped his outlook on life. He didn't _do_ respect, because life had taught him it only came straight back to bite him in the ass. He didn't _do_ impressions, because life had taught him they didn't count for anything anyway. He didn't care.

If the state thought putting him in a home with two successful foster kids and two Bible-loving parents would manage to change him, they had another thing coming. He was there to cash his cheques and exploit the next student body he'd been forced to submerge himself in before he was moving onto the next spot in his life.

"Can I help you?" Hanna's voice was muffled as she reached into her locker.

"Helen wants me to tutor you."

"I know," She rolled her eyes, "I was actually present for that conversation." The embarrassment at being called out on her lack of math prowess was still firmly situated at the front of her mind.

"When can you come over?" He needed to tick this box and fast.

"I'll need to talk to Sean," She turned around and finally looked at him.

"He doesn't own you."

"We're working on the same things," Hanna said defensively. "It makes sense."

"Okay," Caleb held his hands up, "Cleary hit a nerve."

"I don't want you doing anything to hurt Sean or his parents," She spat as she scowled at him. Caleb rolled his eyes at her; the Princess really had no clue about real life.

"Why do you think I'm here?" He asked sarcastically.

"I-" Hanna opened her mouth to respond when the school bell rang, cutting them off.

Caleb sighed and adjusted his beanie, pulling it down further over his eyes as the school bell rang, "Soon blondie," He said as students began to flood the hallways.

Hanna slammed her locker shut and slung her bag over her shoulder, "I'm doing this for Sean and his parents, not you," She said pointedly before flicking her hair over her shoulder and strutting past him to class. She wished she didn't have the urge to look back but something inside of her told her to.

So she did.

He smirked. She frowned.

Their eyes met.

And for the first time in a long time, her breath caught in her throat as she questioned herself. So did he.

* * *

 **Like? Not like? Let me know in a review xox**


	2. II

**Wow wow wow you guys blew me away with all your kind words on the first chapter.**

 **CanonCannon ~ yassss I agree bad boy Caleb is so hot as Hanna will find out**

 **Atramea ~ glad it was worth the wait!**

 **Guestxoxox ~ I thought of you when I posted it, I really really hope it lives up to expectations**

 **Bday girl ~ so I didn't manage to upload before I got on my plane, but happy happy birthday and even though you didn't get to wake up to an update, I hope this is still a good present**

 **Enjoy...**

* * *

 **II**

* * *

Hanna Marin sighed as she sat at her dresser, deciding what nail polish she wanted to use. It was Tuesday evening and she'd been so consumed by her own thoughts over the past two days that she hadn't even noticed she'd chipped a nail. It was only when Mona Vanderwaal pointed out the offensive jagged edge in her nail tip that she'd realised it needed to be rectified immediately. But it wasn't just her nails that needed smoothing.

She was off-balance. She wasn't afraid to admit that - she'd admitted it to herself for most of her life - but right now she was determined not to acknowledge the cause.

Caleb Rivers wasn't supposed to have impacted her school in the same way she had. And especially not in two days. It had taken her two years goddammit - two years to get to a point where she was the queen bee; gossiped about but respected by all. Everyone was talking about the brooding brunette who was mute in class; Bridget Wu in the ladies, Ben Coogan in phys ed, even Bryony Green in the library. If Bryony was talking about you, you knew you'd made it - the girl didn't leave the sanctity of the silent library for anything other than class. She was sweet, but oblivious so if she was heard muttering about Caleb then... Hanna refused to finish the sentence.

Settling on the nude varnish her Mom had bought her on her latest trip to Philly, she quickly dialled Sean's number and put him on speaker before she went to work on her nails. She needed to get her mind off Caleb Rivers.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Hanna smiled, "It's me."

"Hanna?"

"Who else would it be?" She murmured, leaning over her hand to ensure she was perfecting her brush strokes.

"No one," She could hear Sean breathing heavily and she wondered what he'd been doing.

"Have you just finished practice?" She asked.

"Erm... Yeah," He agreed.

"Do you want to come over?" She tried, "My parents are out," She added and paused before deciding to take a risk, "We can make out," She couldn't help the grin that crossed her face. He'd been pretty into it yesterday morning and she was getting the impression he was finally ready to move their relationship forward. She was there, ready and willing, just waiting for him to join her.

"I can't," He shot her down, "I'm still at practice, Han."

"You just said it's finished," She pouted. She wanted to spend more time with him and sometimes she just felt like he pushed her away.

"I know, I'm sorry," He said, "Coach has just come back and said he wants us to do some more weight training."

"He's pushing you guys too hard," She frowned, "You had practice like every day last week."

"I know," Sean closed his eyes.

"My Dad basically funds the team, I can get him to say some-"

"No," Sean snapped, cutting her off, "It's for the good of the team, right?" He justified, "You know how many of us are looking for scholarships, Han."

"I'm sorry," She said quietly.

"No," He replied softly, "I am. Look we'll hang out tomorrow, okay?" He said, "Caleb's tutoring us after school so we can chill at mine," He added, "My Mom's made some of that banana bread that you love too."

"Okay," His words made the pit of dread that appeared in her stomach when she thought about exactly what she'd be doing tomorrow night, lessen slightly. Knowing the Ackards, she'd be invited to stay for dinner with them and after Friday night's awkward encounter, eating a meal with Caleb Rivers was one of the last things she wanted. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll come pick you up in the morning," Sean tried.

"No, I'll see you at school."

"Han."

"Bye Sean." She moved her perfected nail to her phone and ended the call, confusion and annoyance bubbling beneath her skin. She got that he was stressed with trying to get a scholarship, but she was still his girlfriend and if he really cared about her like he said he did, then he'd want to spend time with her too.

Yes, they'd only been together a couple of months, but Sean was a serious guy and they'd had conversations about what colleges they might go to. Her's wasn't exactly in doubt and his was pretty dependent on who showed interest, but he'd given her the impression that he wanted them to be close.

With their phone call in mind, Hanna couldn't help but cynically think that actions spoke louder than words.

Shaking her thoughts away, she focused on finishing her nails before she prepped her bag for the next day and settled in bed. She considered calling Emily and asking for some advice, but from the way her and Ben had acted in school in the aftermath of the vicious game of Truth at Noel Kahn's party she was pretty sure her best friend would not want to talk about boys right now. There was Aria too, but she'd said she was busy all evening doing some admin work for Jason DiLaurentis at his Mom's company - Hanna thought there was more to it than that but when she'd pushed, Aria had vehemently denied it was anything other than easy money. She scrolled through her phone book and paused on Spencer's number before throwing it down on the bed in resignation; everyone knew Spencer Hastings gave the worst boy advice in the world. And Alison? Alison hated Sean with a passion and would take any opportunity she could get to belittle Hanna's relationship with him.

No, she'd have to think this one out on her own.

So for the second night in a row, Hanna Marin lay in bed and stewed. And just like the previous night, her thoughts weren't only of Sean Ackard. At some indiscernible point Caleb Rivers slinked his way in, and like her now perfect manicure, she knew he wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

The next day, Hanna didn't know what had come over her boyfriend. For the first time since they'd gotten together, he was trying really hard.

He'd been waiting in the car park for her with a bunch of flowers in his hand before she'd arrived at school. And when she'd stepped out of her car to ask him what he was doing, he simply moved over to her and gave her a hard kiss in front of all his friends, ignoring their wolf-whistling and jeering before proceeding to take her hand and lead her inside to her locker. Hanna should have thought it was sweet, but all she saw was the $3.99 sticker on the paper around the flowers he'd clearly picked up on a whim from the gas station and a guy who was trying to put on the biggest show possible for the student body. It wasn't authentic. And as he clung onto her the whole day, his presence became suffocating. She couldn't even go to the toilet without him asking her where she was going.

She got he was trying to prove a point but it felt convoluted and fake and Hanna didn't understand why he was trying so damn hard. It wasn't like they'd had a big argument, just a minor tense conversation about how much they saw each other and they'd agreed to see each other that night. It was a bump, not a derailing. But thank God for Alison DiLaurentis - unobservant she was not and after fourth period, she linked her arms with Hanna before Sean had any chance to protest and led her to the back of the school for some fresh air and space.

"What the hell is going on with him?" Alison asked as she pulled out a box of cigarettes from her bag. "Why is he following you around like you're some resurrected saint who's going to grant him a miracle?"

"I don't know," Hanna said, moving over to a bin she'd spotted to dump the flowers.

"It's pissing me off," Alison muttered, "I haven't been able to say two words to you all day," She grumbled, "And where the hell is my lighter?"

"Here," They both turned their heads to see Caleb leaning against a brick wall, cigarette in mouth and hand outstretched with lighter clenched inside.

"What are you doing here?" Hanna asked harshly. As if his presence in her thoughts hadn't been enough, now here he was in person. She couldn't deal with him right now.

"What does it look like blondie?" He retorted, blowing smoke out the side of his mouth. "Needed my nicotine fix."

"Thanks," Alison smiled at him, handing him back his lighter.

"No problem," He muttered, stuffing it in his pocket again. "Does he know you've thrown them in the trash?" He asked Hanna, nodding towards the flower stems that were sticking out the top of the bin. "He spent a whole 30 seconds picking them out," He muttered, taking another drag of his cigarette.

"Your point?"

"Just saying, I don't want to be stuck in the middle of a lover's tiff whilst you're trying to understand differentiation tonight."

"Well you won't be if you don't tell him," She shot him a glare.

He laughed and she stood there, simply taken aback by his reaction. He was the most confusing person she'd ever met and she'd only know him for 5 days. "I think he's going to notice when you show up in class without a bunch of flowers in your hand."

"I'll say I left them in the science lab so they could be in water," She smirked at him.

"We should get to class," He murmured, inhaling one more time before he dropped his cigarette on the floor and stubbed it out with his shoe.

"We?"

"You have History fifth period," He stated, "And so do I."

Alison stood there watching them amusedly. She hadn't seen Hanna get this riled up in a while. "You're late. He's your alibi Han," She stated simply, "I'm gonna finish this."

"Oh.. Okay," Hanna stuttered.

"Let's go." Caleb said firmly, stalking off down the hall. She froze for a moment, but Alison shoved her, bringing her back to reality. It was then that she realised something inside of her was compelling her body to follow him too.

"Wait," Hanna called, chasing after him.

"Just say I got lost."

"Why are you doing this?" She breathed heavily, trying to keep up with him as his pace quickened. "You don't care about me, I know you don't."

"You don't know anything Hanna."

It was the first time he'd said her name.

It had never sounded darker.

It had never sounded sweeter.

It had never sounded so goddamn good.

* * *

By the end of fifth period History, Hanna didn't know whether she was coming or going.

She spent the entire lesson sketching clothes in her notebook as she thought about the tutoring session she was supposed to have that evening. She hardly noticed when the bell rang, and it was only when Emily nudged her on the shoulder that she realised everyone else had left. Sean was stood at the door waiting for her and much to her annoyance, Emily seemed to evaporate into thin air at the sight of him.

"Hey," He smiled, kissing her forehead, "So I know we have tutoring this evening with Caleb, but I need to stop by the gym first."

"Great," She smiled before quickly correcting herself as she realised what she'd said. She never thought she'd be so grateful for Sean to leave her alone. "I'll meet you at yours?"

"I might be a few minutes late, but I'll be there and we can hang afterwards," He murmured. She nodded in agreement, smiling slightly as he cupped her cheek and pushed his lips onto hers. She was one of those girls making out with her boyfriend in the school hallway; it should have made her scream with happiness but after the way Sean had acted the evening before and throughout the day, she hated it. She could feel eyes on her; staring, judging and she wanted to hide from all of them.

She forcibly pulled away, "I'll see you later," She said, stepping away from him entirely. He nodded and kissed her one more time before turning on his heel and heading down the hallway to the gym.

"Nice," Caleb appeared behind her and smirked, "But I'd have liked more tongue myself. Screamed Justin Bieber to me."

"What the..."

"I'll see you at home blondie," He called, walking past her and heading towards the exit, "Looks like it's just you and me for now."

Hanna opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out and she was left stood there looking like an idiot. She thought she hated when he called her blondie, but she was starting to feel like she was hanging onto his every word whenever it came out of his mouth. Still, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her and so she turned and stormed off in the opposite direction, even if it was the long way to her car.

She raced home to dump her stuff and freshen up before she was following the familiar roads to the Ackard's. She parked up and made her way to the front door, fully intending to knock, but it was slightly open and instead, she just moved inside and closed it quietly behind her. There was a giggle from the kitchen and she couldn't help but smile as her ears recognised Penny's precious laugh - she never failed to bring a smile to her face. Sean must have gotten home already and be playing with her, she thought, heading towards the noise.

"Caleb!" Penny squealed, forcing Hanna to freeze just before they could see her. She didn't want them to know she was there just yet. Leaning against a wall, she plucked up the courage to peer her head round the corner to see exactly what was going on. The sight that greeted her made her question everything all over again.

"Don't tell your Mom," Caleb said quietly, a smile on his face as he cut a large slice of banana bread off the cake for Penny who was sat on the kitchen countertop, clinging onto his arm for safety. "Promise?" He tested her, moving a hand to her waist to keep her steady.

"Promise," She whispered and held her pinky out for him, "You need to shake it," She implored, "Daddy told me that means it's a real promise." He stared at her for a second before giving in and looping his pinky with hers. "Now kiss it," She added, ducking her head to kiss their two fingers.

"I don't need to kiss it," Caleb argued.

"But if you don't it will break," Penny looked as upset as if someone had stolen her favourite model horse.

"Okay," He quickly gave in, pressing his lips against their fingers too. She smiled in triumph and squealed when he picked her up and placed her on the floor. "Here," He muttered, handing her a plate, "Now scram."

She turned to run off but stopped and looked back at him. "Caleb?" She whispered, moving closer to him as he knelt down.

"What?"

"Will you play ponies with me?" She put her best puppy dog eyes on and leant against his shoulder, trying to be as convincing as possible.

Hanna watched as Caleb's eyes shut painfully, "I can't."

"I'll show you," She begged, "Tilly told me she wants you to play with her," She pouted sadly, "And Tilly is the Mommy horse so everyone else agrees with her."

"Not today."

"Tomorrow!" She gasped hopefully, "We can have a jumping competimition!"

"Maybe," He conceded, just to get her off his back, "Now go upstairs before anyone sees the cake." She nodded and ran off, darting past Hanna without so much as a glance in her direction.

"Hey," Hanna stepped out of the shadows awkwardly and made her presence known.

Caleb's head jerked up and he stared at her with concern, "Don't tell anyone."

"I won't," She promised as she heard him muttering something about cashing cheques. "I... I don't know when Sean will get here," She said something, anything to fill the silence.

"We can wait," He sat down at the table, his shoulders hunched as he closed himself off from her. He was so different, so vulnerable compared to the act he'd put on earlier in school. Then, he'd made her pulse race as he told her they'd be studying alone. Now, he made her heart break.

She noticed all the books he'd laid out and bit her lip nervously, "No," She pulled the chair out next to him, tugging on her skirt before she sat down, "He can catch up," She said quietly, "I need more help than him anyway."

"You're not dumb," He muttered, "Your brain just works differently."

Hanna let his words sink in. And then she swallowed nervously

She was ready; ready to acknowledge exactly why she'd felt off-balance for the past few days. It wasn't Sean, it wasn't her parents. It was Caleb. He'd come into her life and with his brooding silence, started to pull the rug right out from underneath her. Now, with his gossip-inducing presence and choice words for her, that rug had just been ripped from it's already precarious position.

Sitting with him quietly in the Ackard's kitchen, as he explained a concept she hadn't managed to grasp since the beginning of term, she decided that right now, she was okay with having no rug underneath her. Off-balance was scary, but for once she thought it suited her just fine.

* * *

 **Sooooo a few little plot seedlings planted. Hanna has certainly been thrown by Caleb showing a little vulnerability and she's still trying to figure out where he slots into her Rosewood kingdom.**

 **If you liked it, pleeeeeease review they mean so much xox**


	3. III

You guys. are. incredible. I get so overwhelmed by the love for this story. I get such random moments of inspiration for this story and I cannot wait for you to read what's going to come.

 **Haleb heart, Halebxxx** ~ I freaking love Caleb and Penny together, they're going to have a very special relationship

 **Haleb. , FrenchBenzo, CanonCannon, Guest(s)** ~ you all think Sean's cheating? Keep reading...

 **Guest (Aug 14)** ~ your review was so so so sweet, I would love for these things to get published one day

 **prettylittleliarshaleb** ~ nope, no A in this fic, other demons instead!

 **Guest** ~ joint smoking coming up below...

 **Guest (Sep 5)** ~ I died at your review, all in good time... trust

 **Guest** ~ here is a Monday update just because you asked

Enjoy below...

* * *

 **III**

* * *

Exactly one week after Hanna Marin had been introduced to Caleb Rivers, she found herself sat at her vanity, thinking about him. At 7am. Hanna Marin, did not _think_ at 7am. She didn't think until her Mom was handing her a black coffee and avocado toast. But here she was… applying a final brush of highlighter to her cheekbones and… thinking.

Maybe it was the fact that she had History first period with him, maybe it was the fact that she'd be going to Noel's party that night and she wondered if he'd be there, or maybe it was the fact that she couldn't get the images of him with Penny out of her head. For whatever reason, Caleb was clouding her thoughts.

She thought she was good at reading people, judging their character and putting them in a box. But she had to admit to herself that maybe her assumptions had been more than a little… off.

Still though, she reminded herself as she reapplied her mascara one final time, he clearly wasn't wholly innocent – he was doing deals with Noel Kahn for god's sake and on his first day in school nonetheless. And as soon as Sean had graced them with his presence at their tutoring session earlier in the week, he'd flipped straight back to Mr. 'I only talk when necessary'.

She shrugged her shoulders and sighed, trying to rid her mind of the frustrating teen. Checking her bag for the day, she threw in her lip-gloss and made her way downstairs to be met by silence and an empty house. "Mom?" She yelled, expecting her to appear. There was no reply and no note, but more importantly no coffee. She begrudgingly made her own and took small delight in the fact that she didn't have to eat breakfast before she made her way out of the house and headed straight to school.

"Han!" Spencer grabbed Hanna's attention as she spied her at her locker and started to run over.

"How are you this awake?" She asked grumpily as two books from her locker spilled onto the floor.

"What's that?" Spencer frowned, snatching one of the books up and starting to flick through it.

"My history notes," Hanna defended herself, stealing it out of Spencer's hands and holding it against her chest.

"Hanna," The brunette sighed, "You're not going to get into Cornell if you're sketching necklines instead of Napoléon."

"Who?"

Spencer rolled her eyes, "Seriously. Take notes."

Hanna shot her a fake smile, "Can I help you?" She asked sarcastically.

"Ali said you're coming to the party tonight. After the football game."

"Yeah," Hanna rubbed her lips together and slammed her locker, "I am."

"Why?"

The blonde looked around the hallway awkwardly, "Because it's a party Spencer."

"Is Sean coming?"

"Why would I know?"

"Err, because he's your _boyfriend_ and you two are usually attached at the hip on a Friday night after he's won," Spencer's face screwed up as processed what she'd actually just said.

"We're not having sex," Hanna slammed her locker shut, "And I can spend a Friday away from him."

She was saved by the bell as it cut off any comment her friend wanted to make. "Aria's parents are away, so we're going to hers before," Spencer rushed out, conscious that she should have been in class at her desk in two minutes.

"I know, Spence." Hanna smiled at her, "Go to class, I'll see you at lunch."

Spencer grinned and rushed forward to give her a hug, "I'm so excited you're coming," She said before she started to walk past her down the hallway, "And remember… _notes_!"

"I will, Spence," She smiled before turning on her hell and making her own way to History. She was going to be late, but for once, she didn't really care. She'd been thinking way too much already that morning and who could blame a girl for being tardy when she was channeling all her energy into something her body wasn't used to.

"Ah, Hanna," Mr. Williams looked up from the register as she walked into the room. "I should care that you're late, but I really don't."

"Thanks?" She shot him a confused look before making her way to her seat at the back of the room. She liked her History teacher a lot, but sometimes he lacked serious social skills - probably why his wife divorced him. There was no surprise he was the subject of the back-to-school gossip.

"No problem," He rolled his eyes and stood up, moving round to perch on the front of his desk. "As I was saying guys, you're senior's now and although some of you clearly don't want to be here, you are expected to be independent and actually like the subjects you're studying."

"Where is he going with this?" She heard Bridget Wu mutter beside her.

"So, for the next semester, you guys are going to be working in pairs on a project." The whole class collectively groaned.

"Is this just so you don't have to teach us?" Hanna glanced to her right and watched as Ben Coogan threw out a wholly inappropriate question.

"No Ben, I will still have to be here during lessons, but believe it or not, this is supposed to get you ready for college assignments."

"I'm not going to college." Everyone looked around as Caleb spoke up from the very back of the classroom. It was the first time he'd used his voice in their lesson.

"I know college isn't for everyone, but it'll still give you some transferable life skills and I promise, you're going to enjoy it," Mr. Williams tried. "Now, to make it fun, you're not going to be doing it by yourself," He smiled, "You're going to be working in pairs," He mumbled, moving back behind his desk to rifle through his bag, "And because the board are pushing their diversity agenda, I have paired you up myself."

If six words could kill any hope, they were it. "Why?" Hanna found herself throwing her head back and sighing. She would have been quite happy just taking notes.

"Hanna," He said, scanning his list, "You are paired with Caleb."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she felt eyes staring at the back of her head. She couldn't help herself… she had to glance over her shoulder at him. And he was there, looking straight back, his eyes piercing into hers with the faintest smile on his lips. The room, the noise disappeared as Mr. Williams read out the rest of the pairs and it wasn't until he banged the chalkboard eraser that she turned her head back around.

"You can plan your project how you like, you can plan your time how you like, all I am asking," The teacher continued, writing words up onto the board, "Is that together you pick your favourite event, your favourite era, your favourite period and produce something that tells me _why_. Why you chose it, why you relate to it, why it encapsulates everything you love about history."

In that moment, the rational side of her brain told Hanna there was nothing she loved about History.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur. The school was a mass of energy as everyone focused on the football game and she hardly saw Sean because of it. She let him get on with it – it meant he could complete his usual superstitious pre-game ritual and it allowed her to have lunch with the girls. She almost told them about being paired with Caleb, but then something inside her told it to keep it to herself. Spencer was proud though – when she'd flicked through Hanna's history notebook there were actually words, not drawings. Hanna hadn't dare told her it was because she didn't want to engage in conversation with her project partner.

She thought about him though.

All she did was think about him.

Was he going to the game? Would he sit on the bleachers? Were him and Sean getting along? Had he played horseys with Penny yet? Would he be at the party tonight?

The first two questions were answered when she couldn't see Caleb's face in the crowd. And it wasn't for not trying. He was nowhere to be seen and as Sean scored a touchdown, she forced herself to remember she had to be the dutiful girlfriend, cheering when she was supposed to and pretending to understand the rules the rest of the time.

The clock ran down and she was still a million miles away, to the point where she didn't notice when Sean was running over towards her.

"Han?" Emily nudged her, linking arms to encourage her down the steps as she went to congratulate Ben too.

"Sorry," She shook her head, plastering a grin as Sean climbed up onto the railings to give her a kiss. "Congratulations!"

"You didn't understand any of it, did you?" Sean grinned up at her, a knowing smile on his face.

"I know you played well. That's enough."

"I know," He agreed.

"Are you coming tonight?" She asked him as he jumped down from the railings.

"Can't Han," He shook his head, "Coach will want to go over the tapes already. I've got math homework that I'm stuck on though, let's work on it with Caleb on Sunday."

"Okay," She nodded numbly. She didn't have any energy to fight it, waving at his retreating figure as he ran back over to his team.

"Is he coming tonight?" Emily asked, having separated from Ben.

"No," Hanna shook her head, linking arms with her again, "He's not."

"Are you upset?" The brunette asked quietly, concern written all over her face.

"No Em," Hanna looked up at her and smiled slightly, shaking her head. "I'm not upset at all."

* * *

"Hanna?" Ashley Marin called as she climbed the stairs to her daughter's room.

"I'm in here Mom," Hanna yelled back, wrapping a final piece of hair around her curling iron.

"You look nice," Ashley appeared in the doorway and smiled, "Is that a new dress?"

"We bought it last summer in New York," Hanna looked down at the pink bandage dress that covered her body. Her Mom hadn't even let her try it on; she'd just insisted on buying it, "It fits now."

"Oh."

"Did you want something?"

"Hanna!"

"Sorry," The blonde squeezed her eyes shut, "I'm just running late."

"Where are you going?" Ashley took a seat on her bed and watched her daughter touch up. "I thought you spent Friday's with Sean after the game?"

"Why is everyone asking me about Sean?"

"Because he's your boyfriend sweetie," Ashley said, "And you've idolized him since you were thirteen."

"Well I'm not thirteen anymore."

Ashley paused, before speaking carefully, "Have you guys had a fight?"

"No Mom," Hanna sighed, looking down at her lap. "I just think that maybe I might have spent too much time with him recently. I can't forget about my friends and that's what I feel like I've been doing."

"Honey," Ashley looked more than a little concerned, "The last time we spoke about this, you were talking about going to college near each other and renting together in New York. What's happened? Has he hurt you?"

"No," Hanna shook her head, "I promise," She practically begged, "I just…"

"You what?" Ashley asked gently, standing and walking over to fan out a piece of Hanna's hair.

Hanna looked up at her in the mirror, nerves simmering in her stomach. "I don't know if I'm going to get into Cornell," She choked out. That wasn't _exactly_ what she'd intended to say.

"Your Dad is friends with a lot of people in high up places," Ashley rubbed her shoulders, "You're going to get in, sweetheart."

"But how can you guarantee that?" She looked crestfallen, almost heartbroken; "It's not fair on everyone else." And by everyone else, she was only thinking about one person. Her Mom looked like she was about to say something, but Hanna abruptly stood, not waiting for her answer. "I need to finish getting ready," She mumbled, heading towards her bathroom. "I'll see you tomorrow," She said, before she slammed the door shut and locked it behind her.

She turned the tap on and knelt by the toilet.

The ritual was all too familiar. The familiarity was comforting.

The expectation was too much.

* * *

Hanna couldn't help herself. She was staring.

Caleb was the most intriguing person she'd ever met – she just couldn't work him out. She had her world, her _perfect_ world and ever since she'd met him at the Ackard's for dinner, that world had shifted.

It was him, she knew it was, and she felt such an inane pull to find out what else he could change. It was a glance, it was a smile… she wanted it to be a touch. Would she feel electricity course through her at a simple hand brush? Would she feel her heart stop beating with more than three sentences sent in her direction? She had no idea, but she wanted to find out.

He turned from where he was talking to Noel and she quickly averted her eyes as he looked over at her, focusing on the detailed label on her bottle. He couldn't know what she was thinking; _no one_ could know what she was thinking. It did not fit in with Hanna Marin and all that she was.

"Hanna," Ali came trotting over with a red solo cup in hand, "You look like your Grandma's just died."

"Don't say things like that Ali," Hanna frowned, taking a sip of her drink.

"Don't be such a killjoy," Alison rolled her eyes, shoving the cup in her direction. "That stuff you're drinking is 90 percent water. Have this."

"Han!" Emily ran over, hot on Alison's tails.

"There you are," Aria appeared too, a drunken glaze covering her eyes. "I'm so glad you're not with Sean tonight."

Hanna frowned and looked up at her from her perch on the arm of a sofa, "I'm with Sean," She replied, taking a sip of the drink Alison gave her. She hadn't been that obvious had she?

Aria laughed and rolled her eyes, clearly well beyond tipsy, "Not that silly, I mean with Sean… tonight… right now… you're here with meeee!"

"Where is the goodie two shoes?" Alison asked, draping an arm around Hanna's neck as her hips shimmied to the beat of the music.

Hanna looked down in her cup, "He couldn't come, he had to go over the tapes from the game and he has a weights session in the morning."

"What a loser," Aria scrunched up her face, "Come dance with us," She insisted, pulling Hanna up and dragging her towards the dance floor.

She followed her and forced her mind to leave Caleb alone. The alcohol helped and three cups later, coupled with the little dinner she'd had, she was starting to feel more than a little out of control. Spencer appeared at some indiscernible point, looking disheveled with Toby Cavanaugh following behind her. "We went to third base," Spencer grabbed her and squealed in her ear, hugging her tightly.

"Spence!" Hanna gasped, looking at her in shock. "You're not even together."

"I know," She looked at her like she was dumb, "It's just some fun, Han."

Hanna didn't say anything, just downed her drink and headed for the back door to get some fresh air. The closest Sean had got to putting his hands down her panties had been the second week of their relationship, when he'd fallen on top of her near the edge of the community pool. She'd never seen an arm move so fast. But that was her and Sean; well-mannered, respectful, proper. Three weeks ago it had been everything she'd ever wanted.

Wandering outside, she drunkenly sat down on a rock and breathed heavily, trying to steady herself. What was she doing? Why was she doubting everything she'd worked so hard towards for the past two years of her life?

She looked up as she sensed somebody approaching her, glancing into the distance as soon as she noticed it was Caleb. She cringed when he sat down next to her – she didn't need him clouding her vision anymore than he already had and she certainly didn't need him getting any inkling of what she was thinking.

"Hi," He greeted, pulling out a silver tin.

"Hi," Hanna returned, watching as he pulled out some thin paper before putting the tin back in his pocket. "What are you doing?" She asked, unable to help herself as he pulled out some dark substance and placed it in the paper before rolling it up. He held it in his mouth between his lips as he pulled out a lighter.

"Lighting up," He replied, taking a drag from the spliff before holding it out for her. "Want some?" He asked, watching as she eyed the joint, tugging on her tight dress uncomfortably. She eventually shook her head and looked away. "What's your favourite thing in history?" He shoved a hand in his pocket and asked her. He was trying to fill the silence.

Hanna looked back at him with a quirked brow, "You want to know my favourite thing in history?" She asked slowly.

"We have a project to do together," He mumbled, taking another drag.

"We don't know anything about each other," She replied, squinting at him as a light from the cabin shone directly in her eyes.

Caleb took another drag. Her answer made him realise how drunk she was. His question was exactly that; trying to get to know her and despite what she thought, he could real her pretty well. "How long have you been purging?" He asked. By the way she froze next to him, he'd hit the nail on the head. She stared at him and he knew what she was thinking, "Pretty girl like you with scars on her knuckles who counted the number of peas she ate the first time I saw her," He began, "I've been in enough foster homes."

She held her hand out for the joint and inhaled it quickly like a cigarette, blowing out the smoke like she'd seen others do at parties. He grinned at her. He didn't think he'd ever seen anybody so adorable, sat there in a light pink bandage dress that seemed to cling to every one of her delicious curves, smoking a joint for the first time. "Are you laughing at me?" She asked as he moved closed to her.

"He doesn't know what he's got," Caleb muttered under his breath before running his hands through his hair and turning to look at her, "You wanna learn how to smoke it properly?" He asked, waiting for her to nod before swooping in.

Her breath caught in her throat when he placed a hand on her stomach, "Exhale," He instructed her, "Now breathe it in through your stomach," He guided her, watching as she placed the joint back against her lips and did as she was told, "And hold it in your mouth for a few seconds," He said, "There you go," He added as she exhaled again before removing his hand.

She stared at it in her hands before bringing it back to her lips and taking another hit. "Don't tell anyone," She said, handing him his spliff back.

He grinned at her, "Your first time and you've already perfected puff puff pass," He shook his head wryly before taking a drag and staring out into the forest. "You don't need to do it," He said as they sat there in the dead of the night. She didn't respond, just looked down at the scars he was talking about on her knuckles as the silence surrounded them. "You're so fucking gorgeous Han," Something inside of him compelled him to say it.

She was taken aback.

Her heart clenched for some unknown reason and she had no idea how to respond.

And so she opened her mouth and said the most stupid thing possible, "My friends call me Han."

He laughed again at her for the second time that week and for some reason she found herself laughing with him. "I guess that means we're friends then."

"Yeah," She smiled up at him, moving into his side to shield herself from the cold. "My favourite thing in History," She started, dragging his attention to her lips as they moved so perfectly against one another. "France," She sighed dreamily, "The 20s," She propped her head in her hands.

"Why?" He asked her quietly, resting his hand close to her thigh. He was playing with fire.

"Art deco... Coco Chanel..." She trailed off, embarrassment tinging her cheeks.

He reached out for her chin and forced her to look at him, "The jazz," He added, his other hand bringing the blunt to his lips, "The weed," He raised his eyebrows, taking a drag again.

"You like... jazz?"

He dropped his hand and inhaled one more time before throwing the stub onto the ground, "My Mom," He looked down and said quietly.

He didn't need to say anything else. She placed her hand on his thigh comfortingly and he brought his down to rest next to hers. Their fingers brushed and her question was answered; electricity shot through her body, pulsing around her veins before it settled in her heart. "We don't have to do it."

He looked at her, not following, taking in her glazed eyes, "Do what?"

"France..." She started.

"No," He shook his head, cutting her off. "We're doing it."

"We're doing it," She repeated as he lifted his pinky finger and ghosted it over hers.

She didn't know how long they sat there until she went back in. But they were silent with each other, taking in the moment until her friends came out, calling her name. If she expected him to say something when she stood, he didn't. So she walked away, but not without glancing over her shoulder to catch him lighting up again before he ran a hand through his long hair.

Hanna knew she wouldn't stop thinking about him for a long time.

* * *

 **Han is a little... all over the place, no? Brain versus heart aka the story of her life.**

 **Guest ~ some Haleb ffs I'm loving: Take Me Home (by aBeautifulLiar), Strings Attached (by hannnarivers) and Tonight, I Only Wish For You (by .2016).**

 **If you liked this chapter, please review xox**


	4. IV

**Okay... so I think you will all really really like this chapter. But don't get consumed by one bit, lots of important things happen!**

 **Nobody has guessed what's going on with Sean and that in itself, is a pretty big clue.**

 **Halebforever ~** request number 3 coming up below

 **Guest ~** more than Signs? I'm not sure how... I guess it's a skill I didn't realise I had

 **aBeautifulLiar ~** thank you, I love your fics, everyone go read if you haven't already

 **Safrena ~** what if the answer is.. neither?

 **haleb ~** ngl, you're kinda way off. Number of chapters? At least 20...

 **Guest ~** prediction time.. yes yes and yes

 **Guest x2** here is your bedtime story and no energy drinks required

 **Guest ~** you want Sean to hear them? Well he has to find out somehow, right?

 **I have missed my Sunday reviewers, you are always the most entertaining. Enjoy below...**

* * *

 **IV**

* * *

"More potato sweetheart?"

Hanna looked up from the carrots she was pushing around on her plate as her mother's voice infiltrated her ears. "Uh, no," She frowned and shook her head, glancing back down at the uneaten carbs still loaded on her plate, "No, thank you."

It was Sunday, and if the last day of the weekend hadn't been bad enough when Sean had cancelled their study plans, both her parents had been in when she'd gotten home from a pamper session in town and announced they were having a family dinner. Hanna had immediately been on edge – they didn't _do_ family dinners unless there was something important going on, some big announcement to share and she really didn't think she could cope with any more change right now.

"Tom?" Ashley Marin looked across the long dining room table at her husband, holding up the serving dish that was still half full.

"No," He said firmly, "I need to watch my waistline. They're covering the football team in the paper next week and they'll be photos, naturally."

"What?" Hanna raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she propped an elbow on the table and slumped forward, "You were in it last month." She hated how he wanted the spotlight, wanted to show off to everyone and make them feel like she did every day.

"Last month wasn't football month. Don't you want Sean to get a full ride?" Tom asked, reaching for his glass of red wine. "He'd be disappointed if he knew this was your attitude, Hanna."

"I know," Hanna recoiled and stared down at her napkin awkwardly, "Of course I want him to get a scholarship." Her eyes blinked shut painfully and she forced herself to keep the tears at bay. It was only recently as football season had kicked off that Hanna had realized how her father viewed Sean. He wasn't interested in him because he was Hanna's boyfriend and made her happy; he was interested in him because he could spend time with the son he never had. Tom didn't care for Hanna's sketches, for her fabrics, for her vision. He cared for football, wins and tangible success that could show him in the best light possible.

The realization had been a bitter pill to swallow - a pill that had only been fully absorbed by her body recently.

"And I'm not just doing this for him, you know," Tom swirled his wine around, "I'm working very hard to get you into Cornell. God knows your grades aren't making it easy."

"I'm trying," Hanna whispered, placing her knife and fork together before her hands went straight back to fiddling with her napkin.

"Now Tom," Ashley stepped in, "Hanna's working very hard in school. Helen was just telling me yesterday how Caleb is giving her extra tutoring in Algebra."

There was an awkward silence as Tom processed what had just been said, before he finally spoke. "Caleb?"

Just the mention of his name had Hanna sitting up straight and the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as her Dad eyed her with suspicion. "He's Sean's foster brother," She stuttered, her breath caught in her throat.

" _New_ foster brother," Ashley corrected her, "The Ackards were asked to take him in as a last resort."

"As a last resort?" Tom frowned, "What's wrong with him? Is he _qualified_ to tutor you in Math? If you need a proper tutor Hanna, we can get you a tutor."

"There's nothing wrong with him," Hanna's brow furrowed, her tone full of defensiveness.

"Hanna," Ashley sent her a look, "Mind your manners," She warned her before she turned to look at Tom, "He's had some run-ins with the police regarding boundaries."

"Do you… care to elaborate?" Tom looked at Ashley with more than a little impatience written across his face. "Is he someone we want Hanna associated with?"

"Helen didn't go into detail," She said tersely, "All I know is that it was the Ackard's or a suspended sentence that became unsuspended."

"So he has a criminal record?"

"I don't know the details Tom," Ashley looked at him pointedly. "But he's good at math and helping Hanna and Sean," She reminded him, " _Together._ "

"I can get you a proper tutor," Tom look at Hanna, "For you and Sean."

Hanna swallowed uneasily, taking a shaky breath. She was just a pawn in his world and she didn't like it one bit. "I don't want your tutor," She argued, her frustration bubbling to the surface as she pushed her chair back and stood up.

"Hanna!" Ashley scolded, "Sit down."

"No," She threw her napkin on the table, "I'm finished."

"Hanna Marin," Tom's voice was full of warning. "When somebody offers you something nice, this isn't how you're supposed to react. I thought we raised you better than this."

"I don't want your tutor," She repeated, pushing her chair in before walking out of the room, heading straight for the stairs. "I want Caleb," She whispered to herself, slamming her bedroom door behind her and locking it. She didn't expect her parents to follow her but it didn't hurt to be extra careful she thought as she made her way to her bathroom.

She flicked the lock on that door too before she was kneeling down on the floor, staring down into the porcelain throne that had become a second home. _You don't need to do it…_ Caleb's words echoed in her mind. God knows he hadn't left it since the early hours of Saturday morning. It wasn't enough though and she pushed two fingers down her throat to bring up everything she'd just eaten.

The acid burned her throat and her eyes watered from the pain, the disgust. Caleb was there again and she wondered what he'd say if he found her like this. She stopped herself and reached for the toilet paper to wipe her mouth, dropping it into the toilet and flushing it with the rest of the contents of her stomach before she stood and looked at herself in the mirror. Her mascara was smudged, her cheeks were flushed and her blonde hair was matted at the front in ways it should never be.

Maybe one day, she'd find something that was enough.

* * *

Hanna woke on Monday with the darkest circles under her eyes she had ever seen. It was a disaster, and she blamed Caleb Rivers entirely. He'd been the reason she hadn't slept, tossing and turning all night thinking about his words, about Friday, about the stupid joint they'd smoked together.

But if there was one good thing to come of her lack of beauty sleep, it was that she had a plan. She knew what she had to do and she was going to do it. Tonight. She was sick of being all over the place and it was time she put a definitive stop to it. She was going to prove to herself that she wanted Sean and Sean wanted her. And that Caleb Rivers was so minor blip on her radar who could disappear as quickly as he'd come into her life.

As she drove to school with Katy Perry blasting out, her thoughts still managed to overpower the music. She was so consumed with herself that she almost missed the girls sitting out front together, or Sean waiting for her near the football team.

"Hey babe," He walked over and pulled her in for a hug.

"Hey," She smiled tightly. "Do you have practice tonight?" She asked, standing back a little.

"Uh, no," He sighed, "But I think I'm gonna do an extra weights session after school."

"Can I come over after?" She folded her arms uncomfortably.

"Sure," He smiled, "Maybe Caleb can take us through some more algebra. I know I won't be listening to Mr. Pang at 10am."

Hanna bit her lip and nodded, "Sounds good," She murmured, "I'll come over at 4?"

"Come over whenever," He ducked his head down to press a quick, chaste kiss against her lips before he glanced over his shoulder and was pulled back to the boys who'd started throwing a football around.

Hanna didn't say anything, just watched him go until the bell rang and everyone was rushing inside. She felt eyes on her as she walked down the hallway and she wasn't surprised to look up and find Caleb staring at her. For the first time, she just unabashedly stared straight back, tucking her hair behind her ear until somebody walked in front of her and their eye contact was broken. When she looked for him again, he was gone.

"Han," The blonde jumped as Emily appeared and grabbed her arm, "Are you ok?" Emily frowned.

Hanna took a second to compose herself before forcing a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine," She said, linking arms with her. "Come on, we have English and Mrs. Montgomery will kill us if we're late again." She added, not giving Emily a chance to respond before she was pulling her down the hallway like every other student trying to get to class on time.

She kept her head down for the rest of the day, listening to Aria and Spencer arguing over the meaning of _1984_ at lunch as she chewed nervously on an apple and pushed her salad around on her plate. She had every intention of not saying anything at all, just as she had done in every lesson so far until Alison decided that wasn't going to happen and snapped Hanna out of her thoughts with a simple call of her name.

Hanna finally looked up, slightly nonplussed as Alison beckoned her over, "Let's go for a walk," She insisted.

"Where are you going?" Emily looked up and asked.

"For a smoke," Ali replied, "So don't come, I know you hate it."

"Sorry Em," Hanna whispered as she brushed past her and chased after their friend.

"You've got that look on your face," Alison started once they were far enough away.

"What look?" Hanna frowned, throwing her apple in the bin and crossing her arms across her chest as Ali pulled out a cigarette and lighter.

"The one that says you're thinking too hard."

Hanna paused, debating what to say. "Can I… ask you something?"

"Sure."

She gulped and tried to moisten her mouth. "You've had… sex, right?"

Alison visibly stood up straighter and pulled her cigarette from her mouth, "I've had sex," She agreed, blinking heavily with an imploring gaze.

"Did he… did you…"

"Spit it out, Han."

"Did he come onto you or did you just put yourself out there?" She rushed out.

Alison tilted her head a little and stared as she thought about her answer, "I knew he wanted me," She took a drag, "But it helped that I was naked. Why? You planning on throwing it down for Sean?"

The silence was answer enough.

"You need to be careful," Alison warned her.

"Careful of what?" Hanna frowned, scoffing a little. "I know what I'm doing."

"No. You don't."

"I… I do."

"Hanna, I don't know what's going on with you recently, but sex is not gonna solve whatever is going down between you and lover boy."

"I know that," Hanna argued, "I'm not doing it to solve anything."

Alison threw her cigarette butt onto the ground and stubbed it out with her shoe before she looked Hanna straight in the eye, "Then why are you doing it?"

"I have a question," The blonde swallowed as Alison eyed her suspiciously, "And I need an answer."

* * *

As soon as the final bell rang, Hanna was racing home to get ready for her visit to the Ackard's. Her conversation with Ali had only cemented the thoughts swirling around in her head and as she tore threw her chest of drawers, she knew her underwear choice had never been more important. This _plan_ was going to prove to her that her and Sean were real and they were going to make it – it would just take a little prodding from her to get him moving along in the same direction.

"Black… or purple…" She muttered, pulling out two lacey pairs she had stuffed right at the back. "Black… go with black."

She stripped and changed, pulling on a grey wraparound dress, checking herself in the mirror before she was heading straight back out the door. She knocked, as always, when she arrived before Helen Ackard appeared at the door and smiled welcomingly. "Hey sweetheart." Helen had never made her feel unwelcome. If only she knew what her guest was about to do.

"Hi Mrs. Ackard," Hanna grinned, "Sean said I could come round."

"I don't need any explanation as to why you're at my front door," She reassured her, "I just picked up some cookies with Penny from the bakery in town," She guided her into the kitchen as a small blonde mop of hair came into view, "Do you want one?"

"Hanny!" Penny gasped, ditching the cookie she was about to stuff into her mouth and running at Hanna.

"Hi," Hanna laughed, scooping her up.

"You look pretty," Penny tilted her head and reached out to stroke the front of Hanna's hair, "I like these," Her eyes caught sight of the earrings Hanna had put on, "Mommy can I get some?"

"But you don't have your ears pierced, silly girl," Helen smiled, brewing a pot of coffee.

"We could go shopping though," Hanna squeezed her tight, "And you could help me pick some."

"Can we Momma?" Penny gasped, scrambling to be put down so that she could race over to Helen and tug on her top impatiently.

"If Hanna's invited us, then it would be rude not to," She stroked her cherubic cheek.

"Yay!" Penny threw her arms up in glee, "This is the best day ever!" She squealed, jumping around excitedly.

"Escape now," Helen grinned at Hanna, handing her a plate of cookies, "I think Sean just got back from practice when we got home; he should be in his room."

"Thanks," Hanna bit her lip, waving at Penny before she spun on her heel and headed for the stairs. Her heart was racing uncomfortably and she could hear the blood pumping around her body in her ears as a million and one scenarios ran through her brain. "Sean?" She called quietly, heading towards his room. The door was wide open and there were no signs of life but for a Rosewood High gym bag that she swore she never saw him without. _So he's here…_ she mused, turning in the room and taking it all in. As her eyes skimmed the pictures on his drawers, her ears suddenly pricked up.

She could hear the shower running.

She dumped the cookies next to a frame of him and Penny and ditched her bag before she slowly walked down the hallway, brushing against the wall as she her mind ran and ran and _ran_. She knew the door didn't have a lock – she'd heard Sean talking with his Dad about fixing it – but she didn't know if she could really do it. Do this. Push through and test all those unanswered questions that she was dying to know.

Should she knock? _No… no, he'd just tell her to go downstairs and wait for him._

Should she just go straight in? _Be bold Hanna._

Would he want her? _This is the only way you'll know._

What if… _This is your stupid plan, you picked out your nice panties, just do it._

She yanked her hands out of her back pocket and pushed the door open, biting her lip as she turned and shut it behind her.

And then she twisted back around as the shower door opened. This was it.

But her heart stopped. It wasn't Sean in front of her.

It was the very person she'd been trying to prove to herself she didn't want in the most inappropriate way.

It was Caleb.

And he was wet. And he was naked.

Her breath left her body and she froze, completely still. The only sound she could hear was the _drip drip drip drip_ of the water from his hair, plummeting almost 6 feet from the ends of his wet shaggy tendrils onto the tiled floor as she tried to remember to breathe.

He stared at her, watching her, taking her in completely as her eyes left his and glanced downwards. He knew what she was looking at and he fought the smile that was rebelliously striving to grace his face as her eyes widened unabashedly at the sight of him. But he was stoic again as soon as her eyes peeled their way back up again, her cerulean pupils pouring into his own. He could see her chest heaving in that damn enchanting grey dress, begging him to strip her naked and take her hard. God, what he would do to unwrap that outfit and eat every inch of her.

But he refrained and instead he followed every move her eyes made, every tug of her teeth on her lips, every inch of movement she made towards him. He didn't know if he was the predator or the prey. In the silent moment, he didn't care.

He wondered how long they were going to stay like that – whether it would take Penny to come barging in for them to move – before suddenly she was rushing forward, reaching for him and running her hands all over him; in his hair, round his neck, over his shoulders, down his arms, and he was pulling her with as much force; his fingers splaying over her back, running down to cup her arse and drawing her into him as their mouths finally met.

She saw fireworks behind her closed eyes and felt electricity jolting through her body as they grappled for one another; mouths open and tongues searching as they took and took and took.

She felt him picking her up, propping her onto the countertop as her hands tangled deeper in his hair, pulling and tugging as he pushed himself in between her legs. It was everything she thought it would be and yet it wasn't enough. She wanted more and as the toothbrushes and toothpaste went tumbling onto the floor, she knew he felt the same.

How could she want somebody she'd known just over a week, so much? She was Hanna Marin; she was controlled, defined, exact.

And yet without volition she was moaning into his mouth as he picked her up again, unconsciously wrapping her legs around his torso as he spun her around and slammed her against the shower door. For once, her heart ruled her head.

They heard more bottles go tumbling but neither cared. All that mattered in that moment was them, releasing, giving, taking, inhaling the other as the tension that had simmered since Caleb had walked into her life exploded and bubbled over the top. Never had she wanted with so much gluttony.

She started to grind her hips into him and that's when she felt it. He was hard.

Her mouth paused as reality crashed down; a simple prod between her legs reminding her that she was there with a boy who was hard because of her… a boy who wasn't her boyfriend. And yet, for once, she didn't care. She didn't care about her image, her reputation, her _brand_. She just wanted him, and she was more than happy to push her tongue back up against his, more than content to let him tilt her head and guide her mouth in time with his own.

"Sean?" Helen Ackard's voice froze them in their spot as she knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you okay?" She paused, waiting for an answer as unbeknown to her, two chests heaved as they fought for breath, "I heard lots of banging."

Caleb pulled back an inch as he fought to compose himself, "It's me," His voice broke as he yelled through the door.

"Oh Caleb honey," Helen called with relief through the door, "I didn't realize you were in. Is everything okay?"

"I just knocked some things over," He shouted as convincingly as possible.

"Okay sweetheart, there are some cookies downstairs so come down when you're done."

"I will," He said gently as he turned his attention back to the girl that was still wrapped around his waist, pressed up against the shower door with condensation seeping through her dress. She looked white as a ghost but she was still clinging onto him for dear life and he couldn't help himself as he leant down and placed his lips tenderly on her trembling pout.

She cupped his cheeks and held him in front of her before he finally put her down, reaching for a towel and wrapping it around his waist as she caught her breath again. "I need to go," She whispered, her hand on her lips as she stared at him again. He wanted to say something, anything, but no words came out and instead she was yanking open the door and rushing out into the hallway.

He followed her out and had every intention of heading straight to his room when she stopped near Sean's doorway. He was about to ask what she was doing when his foster brother climbed up the stairs, a bag over his shoulder with Penny scampering at his heels.

"Caleb," She gasped, running over to him as soon as she spotted him.

"Oh, hey bro," Sean nodded in his direction, heading straight into his room to dump his bag.

"I missed you," Hanna heard Penny mumbling to Caleb behind her. She should of followed Sean but her beating heart told her to turn around. She didn't regret it when she did. Watching the six-year-old little girl wrap herself around Caleb's neck as he leant down to actually show affection to someone made her heart constrict and burst simultaneously.

"I saw you this morning," Caleb laughed quietly, holding her against him with one arm as his other hand held onto his towel.

"Han?" Sean came back out, wondering why she hadn't followed him into his room. He followed her line of sight before he took in the paleness that tinged her face. "What's wrong?"

She finally looked up at him, her eyes wide and her mouth dry.

She'd come over here to seduce him. To prove to herself that he wanted her and that she wanted him. It hadn't gone to plan, but here she was… stood in the hallway with the same answer her head had told her she'd never get, but one her heart had warned her would be the only response.

"I want to break up."

* * *

 **Well they finaaaally kissed. Lots more hotness to come. If you liked, review? xox**


	5. V

**Yaaaaaas, chapter 5 is here and it picks up right where chapter 4 left off. To recap, Hanna walked in on Caleb showering and they had a steamy naked kiss before she told Sean 2 minutes later that she wanted to break up with him...**

 **Haleb heart** ~ girl, hopefully this one does too

 **bladgleyluvr09** ~ from now on, my intention is for every chapter to be that hot

 **Guest** ~ the black underpants are back

 **aBeautifulLiar** ~ i hope you weren't too late! haha... it can only mean good things for sure

 **Halebxxx** ~ more Caleb and sweet Penny here

 **luja14, LongliveDixie, Guest** ~ you guys have found it early enough, LOTS and lots more deeper and darker things to come

 **Enjoy...**

* * *

 **V**

* * *

"What?" Sean's mouth dropped open as Hanna's words hit him in the chest.

"I…" Hanna's voice trembled, but she reminded herself she needed to have courage, to be brave. "I said," She swallowed, "I think we should break up."

There was silence, Caleb holding onto Penny as they watched the two of them have a stand off on the landing. "Can we go into my room?" Sean asked, waiting for Hanna to sweep past him before he followed and shut the door.

"Caleb," Penny frowned, tugging on a piece of wet hair, "Is Sean mad?"

"No," Caleb hushed her, stroking her hair back from her face as she looked up at him worriedly, "Sean's not mad," He said, standing up and taking her hand to lead her into his room.

"Why did he shut his door?" She asked innocently, pausing to inspect one of Caleb's t-shirts that was strewn on the floor.

"He just had to… talk to Hanna about something."

"Oh." She accepted his answer like it was gospel, "Hanna's pretty," She said quietly, climbing up onto his bed, "Like a princess," She added, reaching for the cracked iPad he had lying on top of the covers. "Will you play with me, Caleb?"

Caleb felt his heart thump a little fast in his chest as he heard voices start to rise in the room next to them; he wasn't supposed to be getting this attached, letting _Penny_ get attached this soon. It wasn't far from being more than he could take. "Uhm…"

"Pleeeeeeeease," Penny begged, "I promise I'll be good and… and I won't tell Mommy I'm on the apple."

"iPad," He mumbled under his breath, quickly pulling on a pair of old boxers underneath his towel before using it to ring out any excess water from his hair – he was trying to ignore the imploring eyes, the tiny pout, but God knows it was so hard… "Okay," He sighed, giving in and climbing under the covers. "You can play a game," He tried to deflect her, unlocking his beaten up iPad for her to mess around with. He'd stolen the thing a couple of foster homes ago and it was in a pretty smashed up state but Penny wasn't allowed much 'screen time' by her John and Helen and more than once he'd found her in his room, trying to work the thing with intrigue.

"Wait," She gasped, scrambling up to his chest and forcing herself under the covers next to him, "Can we watch the doggies instead?" She asked, curling into him as he took the iPad back off her.

"Sure," He coughed awkwardly, illegally setting up a copy of _Space Buddies_ for her to watch as she attempted to cuddle into him. It was foreign to him, like a disease and as they lay there silently together, watching some golden retriever puppies prepare to ascend into space, he wondered if he would have considered everything to be natural behaviour if he'd had loving parents, or simply a family growing up.

"Caleb?" Her sweet voice broke his thoughts as she looked up at the teenage boy.

"What?"

"You're soft," She said quietly, adjusting herself so that she was half on top of him, her arm sprawled across his chest as her fingers played with a piece of his drying hair.

"Yeah?" He asked her, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah," She sighed to herself contently, "Doggies are soft and I love them." He didn't know what to do for a second, before he just decided to give in and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him as they settled in front of the film.

And as noise permeated through the thin wall, he looked down at the little girl on his chest. He knew he was playing a very dangerous game.

* * *

In the room next door, Hanna watched as Sean paced back and forth across his bedroom floor. She was convinced he was in some type of hyper-shock that was preventing anything constructive coming out of his mouth and until he shook himself out of it, she was borderline refusing to engage him in conversation.

"Is there someone else?"

"No," Her mouth went dry as she lied.

"Then you can't do this," He pleaded, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because…" She trailed off, twisting the friendship bracelet that Alison had given her anxiously.

"I need you Hanna."

"No you don't," She said stoically, staring at the floor.

"Yes I do," He took a step forward and reached for her hand, "I need you and you need me," He added, "We're… perfect for each other."

Her mouth stayed shut as she tried to think about what to say.

"Everyone knows we're perfect for each other," He tried again, "Your Mom," He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "Your Dad," He added, "I mean he's helping me get a scholarship for god's sake and... and you know my parents love you."

"I know," She felt her eyes watering and she sniffled to try to stop the tears spilling over. Those reasons were half the problem.

"Then why are you doing this?" His eyes searched hers for an answer, "I… I lo—"

"Don't say it," She ripped her eyes away from his, cutting him off halfway through his sentence. "Don't say it just because you're scared." She started to cry. "You don't love me," She whimpered.

"I—"

She cut him off again, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve, "Who's my favourite designer?" She asked him.

He let out a noise that was a mix of a scoff and a laugh, "Why are you asking me that? And why would I know your favourite designer? You stopped being into that stuff when your Dad said he wanted you to go to Cornell."

"Fine," She snapped, "What's my favourite city?"

"Why are we playing a game of 21 questions?"

"Sean," She pleaded, "Just please… Please answer the question."

He sighed and threw his hand up in exasperation, "I don't know? New York?" He tried, "You're always going on about going up there."

"Paris," She mumbled to herself, "It's Paris."

"Han," He tried again, "I get that you're upset about something," He reached for her again but she took a step back, "But we can talk about whatever's riled you up. We don't need to do this."

"Yes we do," She wanted to cry again. "You don't love me Sean," She managed to say, reaching for her bag that she'd dumped near his chest of drawers. With one hand on the door handle, she looked over at shoulder and told him the one thing she'd always feared, but never questions, "You don't even know me."

* * *

The next day, Hanna wanted to crawl under her covers and never come out. But she did - only to check both her parents were out before she went straight back to bed and started to think about what she'd done. 'Done' included both her conversation with Sean and her non-conversation with Caleb; neither were comforting and neither made her want to leave the warmth and security of her bed.

In her defense, she'd had every intention of going to school that day – she really wanted to see the girls and tell them what had happened and she seriously thought that wasn't something that could be done over text – but then she'd remembered that she had History first period and the thought of looking Caleb in the eye after she'd seen him naked and then kissed the living daylights out of him made her search for the nearest black hole to disappear into.

She'd never been that forward before… she'd never seen a boy naked before. It scared her, but the reality of the situation was that it excited her too. And she needed to lie in bed until she accepted that she got turned on by Caleb Rivers. Not Sean, her ex-boyfriend, but Caleb, his foster brother.

But as much as she wanted to wallow in avoidance, on Wednesday when her mother ran her weekly charity coffee morning, she knew she couldn't skip again. And so she found herself pulling on a black dress to mourn her dignity, before heading to school where she knew she'd undoubtedly have to deal with her now ex-boyfriend. She knew that despite their relatively brief argument, they hadn't exactly left things amicably and she'd learnt pretty early on during their relationship that Sean was a guy who was pretty concerned about what other people thought of him. He had a lot of pride. What she'd said to him… how she'd broken up with him… she knew he would have felt dented considerably and she knew there would be some sort of _protective_ reaction.

As soon as she parked up and got out of her car, people were staring at her. "What?" She snapped at one boy, restraining herself until she spotted Alison stood with Aria and Emily outside the front of the school.

Just when she was about to ask them if they could see her white bra through her dress, Emily threw her for a loop, "Is it true?" The brunette asked as soon as Hanna was close enough to hear her harsh whisper.

"Is what true?" Hanna scrunched her face up in confusion.

Aria glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one could hear before she murmured, "You and Sean?"

"He's told people?"

"Han," Alison shot her a look, "The whole school knows. And you're not exactly wearing white."

"Oh," She paused, chewing on her lip nervously as she tilted her head to the side, "I guess it saves any questions," She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

"Saves any questions?" Emily frowned with concern. "Do you really want everyone to know that you…"

"I don't care," Hanna shrugged again, "It's true."

"So was he good?" Alison asked with a smirk gracing her lips.

"Of course he wasn't good," Hanna whispered harshly, "How is anyone good?"

"Erm…"

"Well…"

Aria and Emily looked at each other awkwardly as Alison stood there, rolling her eyes at the pair of them. "Did you, you know?" She gave her a knowing look.

"No, I don't know."

"Oh my god," Spencer ran over and embraced the blonde, "Han," She murmured, "I can't believe you did it before me."

"Did what?" She asked, "What are you guys talking about?"

"You and Sean," Aria whispered, "He was saying you… did it."

"He said _what_?"

"So you didn't have sex with him?" Emily still looked thoroughly confused as she gripped her notebooks against her chest.

"No I did not have sex with him," Hanna wanted to scream, but her emotions came out as a harsh whisper instead, "He said I had sex with him?"

"He said that's why you were off," Alison offered up, "Because you needed time to… _recover_ ," She raised an eyebrow as she took in her panic-stricken friend.

"What the _fuck_?" Hanna ran a tense hand through her hair, her shock turning to anger as she spotted Sean walking up to the front of school. "Hey!" She yelled at him, charging straight for him.

"Hey babe," He smiled, reaching to pull her in for a hug like nothing had ever happened.

But she shoved his chest, pushing him backwards with a force neither of them had expected. "What is your problem?" She yelled, drawing the attention of the student body as they started to gather around to watch what was happening.

"Han," Sean shot her a half grin, holding his hand out, "Don't do this right here."

"Don't do what?" She yelled, "Ask you why you're spreading some fucking rumour about me throwing it down for you?"

"So they didn't have sex?" Emily whispered to Ali who was stood there, watching with interest.

"I guess not," She murmured, taking a step forward to put a calming arm in front of Hanna, "That's enough," She suggested quietly.

"No, it's not enough," Hanna felt her voice breaking as Sean looked at her worriedly. "He's lying," She wanted to cry, "I meant it on Monday and I mean it now," She spat at him as everyone waited with baited breath to see what she was going to say, "We're over Sean," She told him, blinking back the tears one final time, "You saying shit like this just tells me everything I think is right," She added before Alison took her hand and dragged her into the crowd, leading her into the school away from prying eyes.

"Bathroom," Alison muttered, practically shoving Hanna inside before anyone could ask any questions. "What the hell is going on?" She asked her, riffling through her bag to pull out her makeup. "Here," She shoved it at Hanna, watching as she started to rectify the mess that was her mascara.

"We broke up," Hanna took a deep breath before a shaky hand started to undo the damage to her eyes.

"Why?" Alison asked simply. When she got no response, she couldn't help but open her mouth again, "Hanna, you've wanted him to be your boyfriend since you were 14."

"I went over to see him last night and…" She trailed off, focusing on her lashes for a second, "To see if he wanted me," She explained, "That was my question – did he want me?" She paused, thinking exactly what she wanted to disclose, "I decided I didn't want him instead."

The bell rang, prohibiting Alison from starting a deep conversation, "Are you sure this is what you want?" Was all she could get out as Hanna took a shaky breath and reached for her bag.

The blonde made a dash for the hallway knowing she didn't have long before class started. Her eyes caught sight of a dark hoodie at the end of the corridor, familiar hair poking out of a grey beanie as she walked as quickly as she could to class. She turned to glance at Alison, "I know what I want."

* * *

In her penultimate lesson of the day, Hanna found herself thinking about anything but the project management Mr. Williams was telling them they needed to be doing for their History project. Caleb was sat one seat across and one row behind her and she just wanted to talk to him. She'd written him a note that she'd torn out of her notebook and it currently sat folded up in front of her, just waiting for her to pass it to him. But she wasn't brave enough and so it was left unopened and unread on her desk until the bell rang.

"I need to tell you what you missed yesterday," Hanna jumped as a dark voice murmured behind her, cutting across the sound of all the other students heading towards their next class, "After school."

She turned around and looked straight into Caleb's eyes, "Yeah you do," She agreed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I…" She blinked her eyes shut tightly as she remembered her Dad would be in that evening, "My parents…"

"It's okay," He shook his head and cut her off, "Sean's out tonight."

"But Helen…"

"Won't be in," He finished her sentence for her. "She's taking Penny out."

"Oh."

"Later," He muttered, refraining from smiling and drowning in her eyes as she stared up at him. He took a step forward and before either of them knew it, his hand was cupping her arse and his mouth was pressing boldly against hers and stealing a moment from her lips. He didn't say anything when he pulled back, just clenched her flesh in his palm again before strolling out of the room like nothing had happened.

But her room spun and spun and it wasn't until Ella Montgomery stuck her head through the door and asked her what she was doing that Hanna realized she'd been stood there with a hand against her lips for at least five minutes. "Don't you have class?" Ella asked, an eyebrow raised as she took in the blonde.

"Uhm," Hanna shook her head, "Yeah," She agreed, "I've got Maths," She murmured, not concerned with an apology as she headed out of the room like a zombie.

She was half grateful for her semi-conscious state as she wandered into class late; it meant she could just sit at her desk, keep her head down and ignore the looks that Sean was sending her way. And by the time she'd gotten over Caleb's mouth being on her again, the bell rang and she was out of the room before anybody could try and catch her attention, heading straight for home to rifle through her underwear draw for the second time in three days.

As she pulled on another black thong, she momentarily questioned what she was doing. Yet when she pushed her way inside the Ackard's house and followed the low music emanating from a first floor bedroom, every question she had was answered.

Caleb was sat there on the edge of the bed, a lit cigarette in his mouth as soft jazz music radiated from the iPad he was engrossed in – that was at least until she appeared in his doorway. And then he was staring at her instead, not a word being said as he pulled his cigarette from his lips and blew out some smoke.

The music faded, her mouth dried, her bag was dumped and his eyes never left hers as she walked towards him and simply stood in front of him. She watched his every move as he reached for a make-shift ash tray he'd created on the side before suddenly the cigarette was gone and his hands were on her thighs, holding her in front of him as he took her in again. She was more addictive than anything he'd ever had in his mouth.

She felt the hairs stand up, the goosebumps appear, as his thumbs grazed her inner thighs, inching higher and higher under her black dress until his fingers were hooked around her underwear and teasing her with the elastic.

Suddenly she stepped back and gripped his shoulders as she widened her legs and straddled his legs instead, settling down on his lap as her crotch hovered over his. "Did you let him fuck you?" He finally said something, anything.

"He didn't want me."

Caleb lifted a hand to hold her chin, his thumb running over her bottom lip and pulling it down as he considered what he wanted to say, "I want you."

"I know."

"What do you want?" It was the first time in a long time that anyone had asked her that and it was so unexpected that Hanna didn't know what to say.

"I…" She trailed off.

"You don't need to know," He reassured her, his hands dropping to her arse again. Just having her on his lap was having an effect on his cock and he was having to fight really hard to keep his brain on topic.

"But I do know," She said, cupping his cheeks as she dropped her mouth to capture his lips in a deep kiss. He pulled her tighter against him, his tongue pushing against hers as their mouths fought and pushed exponentially with the rising heat.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, her breath becoming more labored as she ground into him and tried not to moan. He could instinctively read her though and he let a hand trail round from her arse to the front of her skirt, tantalizingly running his fingers up her inner thigh again until this time he was toying with the front of her underwear with no intention of letting her step back again. She pulled her mouth off his in a gasp as his palm cupped her fully, his fingers pushing against the material of her thong as they traced her lips before ghosting up and down over the dampening cotton, "What do you want?" He repeated his question, cupping her again before he stopped completely and simply waited for her answer.

"I want you."

* * *

 **Errrrrrrrm many a plot seedling in this. Hanna is just so pulled to him. Let the smut begin xox**


	6. VI

Chapter VI is hereeeee people - thank you for the amazing reviews on the last chapter as always. Things are about to get steamy between Hanna and Caleb! About time right...?

 **TheFandomLounge** ~ thank you and welcome, that is a very big compliment

 **casket4mytears** ~ okay, how lame I had to google what unf was... but yes, here it comes

 **Harryslilfool** ~ I think it's my favourite too

 **Guest** ~ do not fear, the feelings are already there beneath the surface

 **Haleb heart** ~ it's a _very_ important relationship, although not really in this chap

Enjoy lovers...

* * *

 **VI**

* * *

Hanna couldn't think straight.

Her mind was struggling to know where to focus as Caleb's hands and mouth created pits of fire around her body. She'd find his lips enticing, putting all her energy into the mouth that was covering hers, before the fingers cupping her panties would bring all her attention back to the electricity that was being created _below_. But all it took was for her to feel a tongue pushing against hers before the hand making her feel indescribable things would be momentarily forgotten about again as she focused on kissing him silly. And then fingertips would skim along the side of her thong, making her hairs stand on edge again for her lips to become sloppy and uncontrolled as she worked herself over his head.

Everything was a blur.

All she knew was that she'd never felt more alive than in that moment.

Just like their kiss in the bathroom, Caleb tasted dark and earthy – a musk of smoke with a hint of sweetness that sent her senses tingling and the goosebumps running across her skin. It was a fine line between being too much and she couldn't help but pull herself back to catch her breath, "Oh god," She gasped, as he pulled her back on top of him, their bodies tumbling onto the bed amongst the messy sheets as her chest heaved.

"Breathe," He whispered, cradling her neck in his arm as his other hand pulled her skirt up. She nodded silently and he couldn't help put grin at her pretty face – she didn't look like she'd remotely taken in what he'd said, "I mean it," He added, running his fingers up her thigh to the top of her thong.

"I am," She breathed, her eyes squeezing shut as he moved his digits underneath the black material.

"Enjoy it," He kissed the side of her face, fighting a smirk as she gasped again.

"I am," She repeated, her mouth blindly searching for his as his thumb grazed over her clit. She moaned against his lips, grinding against his hand as she silently begged for more.

The arm underneath her head wrapped around her tighter, his fingertips grazing her jawline as he kissed her hard and a finger slipped inside her. She was tight and hot and wet and by her reaction, he instinctively knew that no one had done this to her before. "Breathe," He reminded her as their lips separated for three seconds before he was rushing back to swallow her moans again as he began to move his finger inside her.

She pushed her hips against his hand, grabbing his hair as he pushed another finger deep into her and began to pump, "Oh god, oh god," She pulled her lips off his and threw her head back against his pillow, gripping onto him tight as her body tried to cope with the new sensations she was experiencing. "Caleb."

"Let go," He encouraged her, his thumb continuing to stimulate her clit as his two digits kept up their ministrations.

"I…"

"I know," He murmured, capturing her lips with his as she snapped, coming undone in his arms as her scream reverberated in his mouth. His hand stilled as his mouth continued working, encouraging her tongue to tenderly meet with his own as she came down form her high.

It was so _desperate_.

He was painfully hard, his cock straining against the front of his jeans, but he wanted it all to be about her. He imagined it was the first time she'd just _felt_ things, let her heart rule her head and given herself to someone just as she was. He wasn't going to add himself into the mix, not when it was such a pivotal moment for her. He didn't want her to change one damn bit just because she thought that might be what he wanted.

He kissed her one final time, his face remaining stoic as she pulled her hands from his hair and covered her face, her cheeks flushing under the heat of the moment. But he didn't let up, trailing his mouth down her neck, along her décolletage until he was crawling down the bed and pushing her skirt up higher around her waist, guiding her thong down her legs.

"What?" She mumbled, pushing herself up on her elbows slightly to see what he was doing.

"Shh," He encouraged her, linking his fingers with hers as he pressed a delicate kiss against her hipbone. "Lie back," He instructed her, his lips ghosting over the skin to her mound before he was putting his mouth exactly where his thumb had just been.

"Oh," She moaned, happily widening her legs as his hands came to rest on his inner thigh. "Caleb," Her voice feathered as he pushed his tongue up into her. It felt like whatever part of him was touching her, the same electricity was being sent cursing through her body. But it was different too – having his hands in her had felt amazing, unlike anything she'd ever experienced and yet having his mouth on her was already familiar yet indescribable. She was ready to pull him on top of her and tell him to take her fully.

This was what it felt like to be wanted, to feel desired by someone. And for the first time she knew what it felt to want that person back just as much.

She felt it again; the stirrings, the coil of indulgence, the unrestrained lust that sent her spiralling back over the edge into an abyss of pleasure. She muffled her scream against her arm, gripping onto the sheets with her spare hand as Caleb continued to worship her with his mouth. "Stop," She managed to get out, finding the energy to reach for him and encourage him back up to her level.

"You drive me crazy," He murmured, one hand groping her butt as the other tangled in her hair again.

She breathed heavily, staring into his eyes, "I…" She was too off-balance to formulate a response, averting her gaze as embarrassment flushed on her cheeks.

"Trust me," He muttered, using a finger to encourage her eyes back up to his, "I know exactly how that made you feel."

"I've never…" She stuttered again, chewing on her bottom lip as the hand on her butt made it's way up to her waist and squeezed, stopping her mid-sentence. She glanced down at his lips, subconsciously wetting her own before she closed her eyes in anticipation as he kissed her again. It was slow and tender, but it still made the butterflies flutter, the heat pool.

When he pulled away, there was pure lust, pure satisfaction behind his eyes. "We should go downstairs," He said after a silence pause, stroking a thumb along her red and swollen bottom lip. "They might be back soon."

Hanna nodded, hanging onto his every word as he sat up and handed her the black thong he'd pulled off. She blushed again, clutching them in her hand and only looking up when he pushed himself off the bed and stood up. "Thanks," She eventually muttered, shuffling to the edge of the bed.

"Hey," He stopped her, moving round to stand in front of her. She looked up at him as he cupped her cheeks in the palms of his hands, an unreadable look on his face before he was bending down and claiming her mouth as his. She let him take all he wanted, following his lead as he used his teeth to bite on her bottom lip before his tongue soothed the sting.

He stilled, his lips still on hers before he stood and simply left the room. She watched him go, clutching her sodden panties to her chest as she heard the bathroom door shut down the hallway.

Even without him in front of her, without him touching her, she still couldn't think straight.

And as long as he was on her mind; taunting her, teasing her with his words and his body, she didn't know if she ever would.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed in a slight blur – Hanna found herself sitting downstairs with Caleb under the pretense that he was helping her with Maths until Helen and Penny appeared in time for dinner. She was naturally invited to hang around, but despite a large amount of begging from the six-year-old, she excused herself and headed home before she had any chance of bumping into Sean. From Helen's lack of reaction to her being there, it was evident that he hadn't told his parents about their argument or separation yet.

She was still _so_ pissed at him. He had no right to be going around school lying about her. It was so un-Sean-like for him to cross the line and push the boundaries of what was wrong and what was right. Yet here she was, the subject of unfortunate gossip at the hands of her now ex-boyfriend who as far as she was concerned, had made no attempt to apologise or thought he was in the wrong. He was such an _ass_.

"Hanna?" A familiar voice called, breaking her from her thoughts as she closed the front door to her house. "Is that you?"

"Hey Mom," She replied, making her way down to the kitchen. "How was your coffee morning?" She asked as she dumped her bag on the island.

"The usual," Ashley smiled, "Lots of people asking about you and how your senior year's going."

Hanna managed to control her grimace long enough until she could hide her face in the fridge under the pretence of looking for a drink, "What did you say?" She asked, grabbing a bottle of water.

"That you're working hard," Ashley answered honestly, moving around the kitchen to grab ingredients for the salad she was making. "And that you're hoping to follow in your father's footsteps and head to Cornell."

"Yeah," Hanna rolled her eyes, sitting herself down on a barstool, "About that."

Ashley turned and sent her a warm smile, sensing her disillusionment with the topic, "You're going to get in sweetheart," She reassured her, "You know your Dad will make sure you do."

"I know," She muttered, her eyes moving to her phone as a message from Alison lit up the screen.

 _Got new fake IDs, let's go to Philly on Friday?_

"Naturally people were asking about Sean too," Ashley continued, unaware she'd lost her daughter's interest.

 _If we can stay somewhere?_

"I hope this season all works out for him."

 _Spencer said Melissa's apartment should be free._

"For who?" She glanced up, half paying attention as she constructed a response.

 _Up for it. Shopping tomorrow? I need a new outfit._

"For Sean," Ashley frowned, coming over to stand next to her daughter. Hanna quickly locked her phone, turning it face down to stop her Mom from seeing anything that might appear.

"Oh."

"Have you guys had a fight?" She asked, concern etching through her tone.

"No," Hanna shook her head, not thinking about what she was saying, "I mean yes," She placed her head in her hands as Ashley rubbed a comforting hand over her back. "We did."

"I'm sure you guys will work it out. You know how much he likes you."

"I'm not sure we will," Hanna muttered, looking up at her Mom. "I'm not sure I want to."

"Everyone argues Hanna," She said, feeling all too familiar hurt as Hanna stood and walked over to the kitchen cupboard to grab a glass. Whenever she tried to have an emotional conversation - to connect with her daughter - she simply pulled away. One day, Ashley hoped she'd come back to her.

"I know," Hanna agreed, "You and Dad argue all the time."

"That's not true."

"I don't want that."

"You don't have that." Ashley stated, thoroughly confused by the direction of the conversation.

"I want somebody who wants me because I'm me."

"Sean isn't with you because he wants anyone else, sweetheart."

Hanna poured her water into the glass and took a sip, crossing her arms across her chest as she prepared to update her Mom, "Sean isn't with me," She said stoically, looking down at the floor. If she expected tears, Ashley wasn't going to get any. Hanna was numb about the situation, simply emotionless because she had nothing to feel. Being with Sean had been a lie – to him and to her. It had just taken Caleb Rivers to come into her life for her to realise it.

"What do you mean?" Ashley frowned, moving over to her daughter again, "Sean isn't with you?"

"We broke up." Hanna kept her eyes down as her Mom reached out a comforting hand to stroke her arm.

"Are you upset?" She asked, "I'm sure you two can make up."

"I broke up with him."

"Oh." There was a moment of silence as Ashley tried to process exactly what Hanna was saying.

"He doesn't know me," She muttered, "I want someone who knows me."

"Sean knows you," Ashley tried.

"Not the real me," Hanna shook her head, walking back to the kitchen stool she'd been sat on. "You can tell Dad," She commented, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder again, "I know he'll be disappointed."

"He'll be concerned for you Hanna," She argued, "Not disappointed."

"He's always disappointed."

"That's not true," Ashley stated, "He loves you."

"I've got homework to do," The blonde changed the subject, picking up her water and heading for the stairs without giving Ashley a chance to respond. "Call me for dinner."

* * *

Hanna managed to avoid her Mom's questions for the rest of the evening, shutting down whenever she brought it up over dinner and heading straight back up to her room once she'd finished the chicken and avocado salad that had been made for her. At 10 o'clock she heard her Dad come home, walking past her door on the landing and heading straight for his bedroom. She heard the raised voices she'd expected and went to sleep with a tear escaping her eye at the thought of them arguing over Sean… maybe over her.

And despite the high of her time with Caleb, she woke up on Thursday feeling slightly lost. She isolated herself from her parents, not going downstairs until the very last minute where it would have been impossible to grab breakfast and make it to school on time if she'd left it any longer. She blamed it all on them, telling herself it was to do with the fact that neither of them understood her fully or put her happiness before themselves when really she was projecting her underlying anger at the two of them for her teenage unhappiness onto the situation - the situation being that she hadn't heard from Caleb since their awkward goodbye in front of Penny the previous day. And with no History lesson that day, she had no excuse to bump into him.

Plus, whilst she was really beginning to not care what people thought, she'd broken up with Sean _three_ days ago. People would spread rumours if they saw her talking to Caleb for no reason and neither of them needed that right now. Even if the rumours probably would have been true.

"Han." It was the familiar voice of her ex-boyfriend that really hammered the point home as he approached her locker during lunch, a little more than a sheepish look on his face.

"Hi," She said, concentrating on swapping her books over.

"Can we talk?" Sean murmured quietly, looking around to shook off a couple of glares at sophomores and freshman who were gawking at them as they walked past.

"About what?" Hanna asked, applying some balm to her tender lips. She'd never kissed anybody like she'd kissed Caleb and her lips were feeling more than a little dry as a result.

"Us," He tried, leaning against the closed locker next to her, "What I said."

"You mean that lie that you spread around the entire school?"

Sean sighed in defeat, scratching his head awkwardly, "Yeah," He squinted, "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine," Hanna shrugged him off, checking she had everything in her bag.

"I didn't want to lose you," He murmured, reaching a hand out to touch her arm, "I still don't." He said, his voice full of hope, "We can work it out, I know we can."

"You don't want to lose the idea of me," She correct him, sighing and moving away from his touch. She didn't want his hands anywhere near her.

"That's not true," He argued, following her down the hallway as she began to head towards the cafeteria, "I know you Hanna," He said, rushing to keep up with her, "We've got a plan and I'm in it." He said, fighting to keep up with her, "We've got our roadmap, we can still make it to New York together."

Hanna stopped in the doorway of the food hall, shirking as everyone looked over at her and Sean with intrigue, "I've got my end game," She turned to look at him, "But it's a different path to yours," She explained, spinning on her heels, "I'm sorry Sean," She said quietly, looking down at her feet, "You think you know me, but you don't."

"Hanna."

"I don't want that roadmap anymore," She explained, "My Dad will still help you if you're worried," She sent him a small smile, looking back into the cafeteria only for her eyes to latch onto Caleb's, "But this isn't what I want."

"We can fix it. Whatever it is, we'll fix it."

"You can't fix me."

"You're not broken," He called after her as she headed straight back in the direction they'd come from, this time along as she made her way down the emptying hallways towards the quad. She _was_ broken, but it had taken Caleb Rivers coming into her life for her to hold up a mirror and realise that she was in the first place.

She sighed, finally feeling more settled as she sat on a bench and pulled out her phone. There were messages from the girls about the weekend and she smiled scrolling through their whatsapp group. She couldn't wait to go shopping with Ali. She couldn't wait to go to Philadelphia with her friends. Getting away from Rosewood and Noel Kahn's Friday night cabin parties would be good for all of them.

And then there was a message from Caleb. _Tomorrow we need to listen to jazz_ _._

She bit her lip. No one else knew what had happened the previous afternoon. No one else knew she was going to fix herself.

She couldn't wait for their History lesson.

* * *

 **Thank you to all the beautiful people on twitter for their sweet words tonight.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Philly is going to be fun... it's not just going to be the girls that are going. Review? xox**


	7. VII

**Here's an update for all of you amazing readers and reviewers.**

 **Guest ~** don't worry, detail about her v will be _prominent_

 **p ~** there was a reason he ran off to the shower - cold water

 **Guest01 ~** yes, it's very important why Caleb is the way he is, so it'll all be revealed what's happened to him in the past. He's learnt to give before he takes and that's why Hanna's problems are being explored first

 **ForTheLoveOfShips ~** some bonding time in here! I never really used to like writing Alison but I like her a lot in this fic

 **If anyone is interested, I've done a gggb playlist with music that I think encompasses everything about Haleb and their storyline in this fic. I'll be posting it on my twitter with a link to spotify - if you don't follow me on there you can dm me on here and I'll send you the link.**

 **Not much to say but enjoy...**

* * *

 **VII**

* * *

"Okay class!" Hanna jerked her head up from her doodling session as Mr. Williams clapped his hands together, "I can tell that I've decidedly bored you with my 9am speech on how important the effective the use of secondary literature is. But we have just under half an hour of our lesson left," The older man glanced at his watch, "I want you all to spend that time working on your project."

"Can we go to the library Sir?" Bridget Wu asked from her desk next to Hanna's.

"You can go wherever you want," The teacher moved round to the front of his desk, perching on the wood, "This is your project. It's all about you understanding how best you learn, how best you work, before you go off to college."

"So I can go to the gym?" One of the Sean's friends asked, prompting chuckles from around the class. Hanna couldn't help but roll her eyes - were they all weights-obsessed jocks?

"If you want," Mr. Williams agreed, "But next week I'll be having five minute sessions with each pair for you to run me through your chosen topics and progress so far. I expect all of you to come to our meeting with something tangible."

Hanna smiled down at her notebook as she started to daydream again, making a final alteration to the skirt she'd sketched. Despite what everyone said about Mr. Williams, he was a pretty cool teacher. She loved the freedom of being able to work on whatever she wanted and…

She let out a shaky breath before she swallowed nervously as she thought about the dark-haired male sat at the back of the classroom. Caleb was all she could think about since she'd thrown herself at him on Wednesday afternoon. He made her feel _alive_ , like she could completely be herself. It was liberating. It also terrified her.

"Hey," His voice grumbling in her ear made her jump and snap her notebook shut as she looked up to meet the two dark eyes she'd just been thinking about. It was no coincidence she'd envisaged the material of the skirt to be the same colour.

"Hi," She muttered quietly, subconsciously wetting her lips as he adjusted the beanie on his head.

"I thought we could go some place else," He nodded towards the door, looking around the room anxiously at all the other students who'd chosen to stay to work on their project.

She nodded, shoving her books in her bag, "Yeah," She agreed, "Somewhere," She whispered, chasing after the body that was already halfway towards the door. Mr. Williams started talking to them as they left the classroom, but Hanna didn't process a word he was saying; every single sense was focused on Caleb Rivers as he floated down the corridor three feet in front of her. Wherever he was going, her body told her she had no choice but to follow.

"Wait," Hanna called as they moved past an empty classroom. "Jazz," She blurted out when he turned to look at her expectantly. Her face flushed in embarrassment as he shot her a wry smile, "You said you wanted to listen to jazz," She explained gently, clutching her bag to her side as if that would stop her body tingling from any look he sent her way. "We can't do that in the library," She added, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Who said we were going to the library?" He murmured, taking two steps towards her before he dropped his mouth down onto her jawline, kissing the smooth skin tenderly. She barely had time to react before he was pulling back, his breath ghosting and lingering over her earlobe until he disappeared into the empty classroom.

Hanna stood there in shock, her teeth tugging on her bottom lip as she nervously glanced around the hallways, infinitely grateful that they were alone. She didn't want _anyone_ to know about Caleb. A noise from round the corner made her jump and she forced herself to take a breath before she followed him into the empty classroom; he was doing things to her that she didn't think were possible at this time in the morning.

She couldn't help but glance at him slightly anxiously as she took him in, already settled near the back of the classroom well away from any prying eyes; she had no idea what to do with herself.

"Come here," He murmured, pulling a chair up for her to sit to the side of him, her body slightly facing him. "Show me your book," He asked her, a hand going to her thigh as she sat down, his thumb rubbing smoothly over the dark blue material of her jeans.

"My book?" She asked him, a frown gracing her face.

"Your notebook," He said, pulling the chair closer to him so that he could run his hand up her leg to her hip, rubbing soothingly as she reached into her bag.

"I don't…"

"These," He said, squeezing reassuringly as he flicked through the front pages with his other hand, "This is what we should do," He murmured, not missing the slight smile that graced her lips as he fiddled with his laptop to start playing some jazz music in the background.

"These are my sketches," She whispered, her fingers dancing over the lines of pencil she'd etched on the page. "They're silly, Caleb."

"No they're not," He said simply, "They're your work. They're what you enjoy."

"It's just what I do when I get bored," She murmured, looking down at her hands.

"I see you drawing in this in every class we have together."

"You're watching me?" He couldn't help but roll his eyes as she smiled at him – that had to be the one thing she picked out from his sentence.

"Easier than picturing you naked."

"Caleb!"

"It is," He muttered, leaning forward to capture her lips with his own. It was tender and slow and everything she remembered about kissing him two days ago. But it was better. This wasn't a kiss about sex or pleasure; it was a kiss about each other and wanting to feel close. And she let him lead, not sure how much to give or take, unable to fight the frown as his mouth slowed until he sat back and simply took her in.

"I'm going to Philly tonight." Hanna felt an uncontrollable urge to tell him.

"I know." She looked at him, confused. How the hell did he know? "Noel," He muttered, answering the question that was written all over her face, "There's no party tonight. He wants to sleep with Alison."

"Oh."

"Our project," He cleared his throat, separating from her slightly to focus on his laptop.

"Why are you friends with him?" She asked, not letting the topic drop. She wanted to know more… about him… about his friendship with Noel… mainly him.

"We're not friends," Caleb said simply, "I'm helping him out with some things."

"Are you coming tonight?" She asked as he reached for her notebook, looking through it in more detail. "To Philly?" She clarified, propping her head in her hand on the desk as she watched him, her forehead furrowed. The bell rang before she could get an answer and he stood, packing his laptop away and shoving it in his old ratty backpack.

"Your face is too pretty for that vein to be twitching," He muttered, handing her notebook to her. "See you later," His voice dropped and his hand cupped her jaw as his lips dropped behind her ear, caressing the skin before he disappeared out of the room and into the throng of students who were appearing in the hallways.

"Later," She blinked stoically, a hand coming to her forehead to try and smooth the skin. "Later…"

Whatever later meant.

* * *

 _Later_ saturated Hanna's mind.

She refused to ask Alison exactly what was going on between her and Noel – even though the desire within her was like a candle refusing to burnout – because she had no intention of letting _any_ of her friends have _any_ inclination about what was going on in her personal life. As far as they were concerned, the week they'd just lived through had seen her being the quintessential heartbroken singleton who although having instigated the break-up herself, was still hugely upset about being without a boy she'd appeared to deeply care about. Yes, the Rosewood High Queen had doused herself in black because she was supposed to be in mourning. _If only they knew._

Hanna had to fight a laugh when she thought about it. _Two months_. Her and Sean had been together for two months and she'd considered them serious… They were discussing college together, even _living together_ in New York. God, what a joke. All she'd done was channel everything her parents had ever wanted - all she'd thought she'd ever wanted - into her relationship with Sean and hoped for the best. She'd thought the summer had been about finding herself, starting to come to terms with who she was and what was expected of her. Having a boyfriend was all part of that. Having Sean was fundamental to that.

But the leaves on the trees were changing, turning from their pleasant and unsurprising greens that sprouted under the East Coast sun to the rich and enchanting, unpredictable hues of the Pennsylvania fall. And Hanna liked fall. It was fall that she cared about now. One glance in her ex-boyfriend's kitchen from Caleb Rivers and she knew that the finding herself she claimed to have done in the summer wasn't enough. It was time to really, truly, _discover_ herself. To come to terms with who she was and who she wanted to be.

Two years with Sean in her life. Two months with him allegedly _meaning_ something and he couldn't tell that she'd been making herself sick after every dinner.

Two weeks with Caleb and she guessed he'd known after two days.

She was so pulled to him, so captivated by everything that he was. She'd never met somebody who seemed so uncaring of what other people thought of him. Some of the Rosewood High population might have said that Ali came close, but Hanna knew her outwardly nonchalant attitude came from deep-seated insecurity. Caleb was something else.

He lit a spark within her and it wasn't to do with the copious amounts of weed she was sure he smoked. She wanted him in Philadelphia tonight. She wanted him.

"Han!" Alison snapped the blonde out of her thoughts as she came out into the living area of the Hastings' Philadelphia flat. It was 8pm and after catching the train after school, she'd watched each of the girls taking their turn getting ready for the night before she'd slipped into her thoughts. Her good thoughts. "Hurry up," Ali pulled her up, "We need to start the drinking games soon."

"Sorry," She muttered, heading into the bedroom Alison had just emerged from.

"What are you wearing Han?" Spencer asked, stroking down the front of the dress she'd put on.

Hanna rifled through her overnight bag to find exactly what she was looking for, "This," She held up a skimpy black lace crop top, "And just a black skirt."

"This is so cute," Aria stole the top, feeling the material before she held it up against herself in the mirror. "I may need to completely borrow this."

"Once Han wears it, it's out of bounds," Alison commented, leaning against the doorframe as she watched Aria in the mirror.

"You can borrow it," Hanna said kindly, smiling as Aria handed the item of clothing back to her.

"Seriously," Alison said, "Hanna has the best boobs," She added, "None of us can wear the same top as her and think it looks as good."

"Thanks Ali," Hanna smiled at her before she pulled her top over her head and proceeded to pull on the clothing in question. "I don't think I can wear a bra with this," She muttered, pulling the straps of her bra down before she unclipped it at the back and dragged it out from underneath the top.

"Spencer, does your sister keep any other liquor here?" Ali asked expectantly, "Em could only sneak a bottle of vodka," She rolled her eyes.

"I still think they know," Emily murmured anxiously, tucking her hair behind her ear as she sat herself down in the armchair near the mirror.

"It'll be fine Em," Spencer reached out to squeeze her shoulder comfortingly.

"Yeah Em," Alison rolled her eyes, "It'll be fine."

"Okay," Hanna sighed, stepping in front of the mirror, "Can we drink?" She pulled a face, checking her makeup, "I need to drink."

"And to think" Spencer started sarcastically as she plugged her phone in to the speakers on the windowsill. "You used to be such a good girl."

"I…" She stuttered, fiddling with her skirt.

"I'm kidding," Spencer laughed, shoving her lightly, "You're a _Marin_ ," She smiled, "Just like I'm a Hastings. Things are expected of us," She said knowingly, "But we can have a little fun too."

"Fun," Hanna swallowed as Aria suddenly appeared with shot glasses.

"I know you've just broken up with Sean," The brunette said, handing out them out, "But you definitely need to be on the lookout tonight."

"My cousin says Philly has the hottest guys at the moment," Ali commented, pouring a measure of vodka into each of the glasses, "Although I'm not sure I'll take much notice."

" _What?_ _"_ Emily spat.

"Ali what are you talking about?" Aria covered for Emily's outburst, "Are you… seeing someone?"

"Maybe."

"Who is it?" Spencer asked eagerly.

"Noel," Hanna couldn't control her mouth before it opened. "Sorry," She gasped, holding a hand to her lips.

"No," Alison tilted her head and looked at her coyly before she raised her shot glass in the air, expecting the girls to follow, "You're more observant than I thought," She murmured, more than a little intrigued, "Han."

She shrugged, wanting to avoid the scrutiny, "We should drink," Hanna muttered, throwing her head back and trying not to wince as the clear liquid burned the back of her throat.

"Hey," Spencer frowned, "Don't the Kahn's have a flat here in Philly? They bought it when Eric when to college here."

"Maybe."

"Ali," Aria gasped in delight, "He's _not_ …"

"What can I say?" Alison sent her a flirtatious glance, "Boys know what they want."

"So he's coming?" Emily asked unsurely, looking more than a little put out, "I thought we were having a girls' night."

"We are," Alison shrugged. "But what's a girls' night without some spice?"

"Still a girls' night," Emily muttered under her breath.

"Come on Em," Hanna consoled her, pouring another shot of vodka for herself, "We're in Philly," She said, "Ali's got us fake IDs," She added, knocking back another drink, "We're going to a club… All of us together."

Aria looked at her knowingly, "It's a girls' night."

* * *

As soon as Hanna stepped into the queue for _Rumor_ she felt like eyes were on her. She glanced over her shoulder as she leaned on Aria for support, expecting to lock pupils with the one person she was constantly thinking of, but his presence eluded her. And if she expected it to change once they were inside, she was sorely mistaken. But she wasn't the only one who was clearly a little put out – Alison looked like she wanted to be anywhere but at the bar of the club with her friends at nearly 1am.

"More shots," Spencer yelled drunkenly, leaning over the bar with her hand in the air waving her credit card around.

"Hannaaaaaa," Aria tugged on the blonde's arms as she caught her staring off into the crowd. "Come on, Spence is getting us tequila."

"Sorry," She shook her head, holding tender fingers to her forehead as she immediately regretted the sudden movement.

"I need salt, I need lemon!" Emily shrieked as Aria handed out shots of the clear liquid.

"Don't be a wuss Em," Ali snarked.

"I need lemon too," Hanna whined, leaning over the bar to grab the attention of the bartender.

"Han," Spencer's eyes flared as she reached for her friend's top, "You're almost spilling out," She yelled over the music, as lemon and salt was served up for them.

"They're my boobs," Hanna shrugged, pouring the salt onto her hand, "I can do what I want with them."

"There's boob and then there's nipple," The brunette said, turning them both around so that they could down their drinks with their friends.

"I need to go dance," Aria pulled a face as the liquid burned the back of her throat.

"Yes!" Emily agreed, tugging on Spencer's arm, "I love this song."

Ali's face screwed up tellingly, "I hate this song."

"Come on," Aria slipped her arm through the blonde's, "Ali be happy."

"Are you coming Han?" Alison looked at Hanna expectantly, rolling her eyes at Aria's drunken ramblings, "I need you."

"No," Her brow furrowed, "I just need to go to the toilet."

"Do you want me to come?" Spencer asked, throwing an arm around Hanna's neck as she struggled on her feet. "I can come."

"No," She shook her head, "I'm fine." She yelled over the music, watching as they disappeared into the Friday night crowd, leaving her standing by herself. She wasn't unaware of the men that were staring at her as she stood there by herself, a hand back on her head as her brain tried to focus on walking in the direction of the bathroom. But she wanted them all to go away; she knew they were looking at her chest and then her face. If one of them was Caleb, she knew it would have been the other way round.

There was sweet relief as she slammed the cubicle door shut and all but collapsed on the toilet as she drunkenly went about her business before pulling her phone out of her bag, almost dropping it as she eagerly looked at the message that was lighting up the screen. But as her eyes focused, the disappointment ebbed again as she processed the fact that it was from her Mom three hours ago hoping she was having a nice sleepover, not the brunette male infiltrating her mind. She hated that there was no signal in the stupid club.

Someone slammed on the door, making her jolt as a voice yelled for her to hurry up. She had to forget about him, she told herself as she pulled down her skirt and flushed the toilet. Caleb had no reason to come to Philadelphia tonight – even if he was friends with Noel, even if Hanna had told him she'd be there – he had no reason at all.

"Alright," She yelled back as the person banged on the door again, pulling it open to let a girl whiz past her as she made her way to the sink to wash her hands. "Lipstick… lipstick," She said, riffling through her bag to find the dark pink colour she'd decided on earlier in the night.

"I never do lipstick when I'm drunk," A random girl next to her started talking at her. "I always think you just make it worse."

"That's nice," Hanna said stoically, focusing intently on her reflection in the mirror as she plumped her lips with colour.

"Especially red… It's the worst when you kiss someone."

"You shouldn't talk to strangers," Hanna cut her off, popping the tube back in her bag as the girl looked at her slightly offended, "They just get annoyed by your voice," She added before she was turning on her heel and heading straight for the door. "Seriously," She rolled her eyes as she began to head back to the dance floor, "No, I'm not interested," She yelled at a male who gave her a look, "Go away," She pulled a face as she ended up at the bar again, the guy to her right offering to buy her a drink.

"That's not very nice."

"Caleb!" Hanna spun to the voice on her left, a hand to her chest as she tried to restabilize. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" He asked, wrapping an instinctive arm around her waist as his nose nudged itself into her hair. He'd been waiting for her.

"That," She told him, pushing her body into his side.

"I'm not doing anything," He raised his eyebrows at her, fighting a laugh.

"You're distracting me."

"From what?"

"Buying tequila but I need salt."

"Baby, you've got a lot to learn," He murmured in her ear, his hand squeezing her waist as she turned to look up at him with big doe-like eyes. "A lot," He repeated before he couldn't resist her mouth any longer.

She let him take all he could as his tongue pushed against hers, his teeth taking a moment to pull on her bottom lip before he was kissing her deeply again. She didn't know whether it was the tequila shot or his hands running up her sides to rest on her crop top, but her heart was racing. "Oh," She sighed into his mouth as one of his palms ghosted round to her front, cupping her breast.

"You are so fucking beautiful," He pulled back and said, staring into her eyes as she bit her lip.

Her cheeks flushed and she momentarily asked herself again if it was the alcohol or him. By the way his gaze probed hers, it was definitely him. The desire pooling was almost too much. "Is Noel here?" She asked, attempting meekly to change the topic; she didn't know what to say, how to react when he said things like that.

"He's here." Caleb glanced out across the dance floor. "His brother's here too with someone called Jason."

"Excuse meeeeeeee," He turned his head back to Hanna as she leant forward and called for a bartender. "Hello?"

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"I need a drink," She pouted, squeezing her chest together to try and grab some attention.

"No you don't," Caleb stopped her, pulling her back from the bar, slightly into the crowd.

"Possessive," She laughed drunkenly as he wrapped a tight arm around her front, keeping her back tight against his chest.

"Let's go."

"Go where?" She asked as he began to drag her out of the club, "The girls."

"Text them now," He told her, taking her hand as they emerged into the darkness of the night. There were people milling around in the street and bouncers around the club, but Hanna

"Caleb," She was slightly breathless, trying to keep up with him as he pulled his hood up over his head, "Wait," She called, one hand gripping her phone, the other linked with his, "Where are we going?"

"Noel's."

"I don't wanna go to Noel's," She said as he stopped near the edge of a main road, looking down the street for a taxi.

"Spencer's."

"No," She shook her head adamantly, "I wanna go home."

"Fine," He agreed, hooking his arm around her neck to pull her close and kiss away the frown that was etched on her face. "We should go to the train station."

"I can call for an Uber," She murmured as the cold night air began to sober her thoughts. He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off before he could speak, "My parents pay for my credit card," She said, digging around for her phone.

His hands dropped to her butt, cupping the faux leather skirt and pulling their groins together as his lips found the skin on her jawline. "Han," He whispered, his mouth moving up to her cheekbone as one of his hands cupped the other side of her face.

"It'll be here in two minutes," She said, her eyes closing as she locked her phone and laced a hand through his hair under his hood, doing nothing but think about the way his lips were ghosting over her skin. "I don't wanna go home," She murmured, their noses bumping before he kissed her gently.

"You just called an Uber."

"I mean," She kissed him again, standing on her tiptoes as her phone vibrated in her hand. "I wanna go somewhere where it's us. Where there's no one else."

"Han," He murmured as a car honked beside them, "That's your house."

"No," She shook her head, leaving him standing there as she made her way to the waiting taxi.

"No?" He asked, following her and pulling open a door for him to climb in.

"I hate my house," She muttered as the car started to move away from the curb, "I hate how it makes me feel," She added, resting her head against the window. "You don't make me feel like that," She whispered to herself, although he heard every word.

Caleb shuffled off to the middle seat and grabbed her hand, linking their fingers as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and encouraged her forehead towards his, "You're feeling," He murmured, his lips tenderly caressing hers. "Two weeks ago you weren't feeling."

"I thought I was," She agreed, her free hand finding his thigh, "But now I know," She kissed him again, her tongue gently meeting his before she pulled back to stare into his eyes, "I wanna _feel_ more."

"We can."

"Not at home," She pleaded with him.

"Noel's cabin. Let's go to Noel's cabin."

* * *

 **I know it's really mean to stop it here, but it was already pretty long and I'm sure you can guess where the next chapter's going to pick up... it needs to be given enough dedication. If you liked, review? xoxo**


	8. VIII

**Chapter 8 is hereeeeeeee. M rated from the start, you have been warned. I'm aware this is mostly smut, but there are a few important things or references that happen - keep an eye out for them!**

 **FrenchBenzo ~** don't worry, there's only an alcohol "glaze"

 **Guest (about Hanna cheating) ~** I get you, trust, but all will be revealed... without giving too much away it wasn't just Hanna that was unhappy

 **Harryslilfool ~** welcome welcome, no one is ever too late to the party

 **Luckygirl5 / Guest ~** sorry I didn't manage to post for your birthdays, but hopefully the content of the chapter makes up for it

 **Guest (on sequel to restraints) ~** a 10 chapter sequel is on my agenda, I have a plot, I just need to write it!

 **Guest (on the Ashley situation) ~** errrrrrrrrrrrrrm, not to be addressed in an A/N haha, happy to dm about it though

 **Enjoy...**

* * *

 **VIII**

* * *

Caleb wasn't surprised when the Uber driver seemed reticent to go the full way up the driveway to Noel's cabin. He didn't particularly care though – it meant he got to feel Hanna's body pressed against his as he carried her up the dirt track on his back, her legs wrapping around his waist as the sound of her breath settled in his ear. She was all-consuming.

"Why is there a light on?" Hanna mumbled as Caleb placed her next to the front door, reaching for the key underneath the flowerpot at the front as a blue glow emanated from behind a set of blinds.

"They always leave a light on," Caleb explained, twisting the lock to let them in.

"But why?" She pushed him as he turned around and allowed his mouth to press against the skin on her neck; her breath hitching as she squeezed her eyes shut and tangled her fingers in his long hair.

"Don't worry 'bout it," He murmured, his hand running up her side and dancing underneath the lace of her crop top before it settled on her waist and squeezed possessively.

"I'm not," She gasped, letting him lead her through the hallway as his lips stayed and began to suck _hard_. She opened her eyes as she stumbled in her heels, her forehead creasing in a frown as she caught sight of blue light emanating from behind a door again.

Caleb sensed her distraction and cupped her cheek, encouraging her eyes onto his as he finally captured her mouth with his own. She was pushing against him straight away, searching for more as suddenly all her energy was focused on only one thing, "Han," His breath heaved as he guided her into a bedroom, their lips separating as he let go of her to find the switch for the lights. "Don't move," He glanced at her as she wobbled in her heels, reaching out for the bed to stabilize herself.

"But if I don't move," She started, scrunching her hair lightly, "How can I do this?" She asked, reaching for the zip on the side of her skirt, pulling it down teasingly before she let it drop from her waist and pool on the floor around her heels.

The alcohol in her system had given her some kind of new-found confidence, but Caleb could still see the uncertainty in her eyes, "Can you please sit down," He murmured, taking two steps towards her to guide her by the arms onto the bed, "I can't take my eyes off you," He whispered as his hands ran down her thighs, both stopping at her ankles to fiddle with the straps on her shoes. "These need to come off," He encouraged her, pressing a kiss against the corner of her mouth before he stood again.

The lighting was too bright and he found himself fiddling with switches and lamps around the room as he did what he could to dim the glow. "Caleb," She called, and when he turned to face her, she was holding her phone out for him, "Here."

"What?" He asked, moving across as a smile crossed his face.

"I want music," She said as he cupped her cheeks, dropping his mouth onto hers to steal more than one tender kiss.

"You can have music," He agreed, running his hand down her thigh again before he stepped back to compose himself, searching for the speakers he knew Noel kept on the mantelpiece for the _after_ parties. "What do you want?" He asked, still unable to wipe the smile from his face, "Katy Perry or something?"

"No," Hanna shook her head.

"What? Don't tell me I've gotta put Justin Bieber on."

"No," Hanna laughed before he heard her breath drop, "Put on some jazz," She said softly, her eyes meeting his as he looked over his shoulder at her. "I have a playlist. For our project."

"Oh." His smile dropped as he took in the most recent playlists on her Spotify.

 _Jazz – YOU NEED TO LISTEN_

That one was expected. The one below wasn't.

 _Caleb_

He scrolled right to the bottom, his heart racing as he expected to see one with Sean's name written across it. But it didn't appear.

"What are you doing?" Hanna asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thinking about you," He answered honestly, quickly selecting the jazz playlist she had at the top. His face smoothed and his shoulders relaxed as the sound of sweet piano filled his ears, a small unbelievable smile gracing his lips as the familiar notes of _I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good_ vibrated across the room.

He had it bad. He had no idea if that was good.

"What about me?" She asked, her head propped in her hand when he turned to her.

He tugged his hoodie off, making his way towards her again as he wet his lips with his tongue. "Do you know what you're doing to me?"

"No," She said so honestly, so innocently that he couldn't help but grin at her as she scooted back on the bed. He kicked his black converse off, ditching his top at the same time before he was crawling onto the bed, his body covering hers as she surrendered her mouth to his.

His hands roamed of their own accord, desperate to touch, grasp, ghost over every single piece of her skin. "You are…" He pulled back slightly, his eyes dancing across her face before they pooled into her pupils, his hands tangling in her hair as she lifted her head gently to capture his mouth again and cut him off.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling their bodies close together as one of his hands dipped down to the side of her lacy panties. "Caleb," She gasped, lifting her hips to grind her pelvis against his. He'd felt the blood rushing south almost as soon as they'd walked into Noel's cabin – now, with her pulsing against him, there was no denying how hard he was.

"Relax," He whispered, fighting against all his natural instincts as he climbed off her and moved down towards the end of the bed, his hands pushing her legs apart as his lips began to brush over the skin on her inner thigh. She sat up and pulled her crop top off with little abandon, oblivious to the way Caleb immediately stopped what he'd been about to do between her legs to simply take her in. "I'm overdressed," He murmured, reaching for the button on his jeans as he stood before he tugged them off.

"I want this," She gazed into his eyes, neither of them blinking as she lay there offering herself to him.

"Me too," He swallowed, climbing back onto the bed, this time beside her. She moved onto his chest, her legs straddling his thighs as she kissed him tenderly. The music mellowed as their mouths danced, the track ending and allowing Hanna's moans to fill the empty room as Caleb moved a hand underneath her panties until the gentle melody of the next song began. She was already wet and he only allowed himself to pump his fingers into her a few times before he pulled his hands to her hips and rolled them over.

"Do you…" She gasped, her breath caught in her throat as he sat up and pulled her panties down her legs.

He nodded, ridding himself of his boxers before he leant over her to silence her mouth with his. She couldn't help but bite down on his lip as she felt his cock settle on top of her lips, gliding smoothly in the wetness as he held her face with his hands. Caleb reached a hand between them, guiding his dick around her entrance before up to her clit. He knew she was tight; he wanted both of them to be as wet as possible so that she felt as little pain as possible.

"Ready?" He asked, stroking her forehead with his thumb. She nodded silently, prompting him to reach across into the drawer of the bedside table. She watched him as he produced a blue foil wrapper, keeping one hand next to her head as he bit the packaging with his teeth and did the best he could to pull the condom out with one hand.

"Ready," She whispered, feeling the cold air hit her body as he sat back and took his warmth with him to roll the rubber over himself.

"Han," He murmured in her ear, falling back on top of her as he let a hand dip between them, pumping his fingers into her a few more times before he lined himself up and started to push his cock into her.

She gasped, her face scrunching up and her eyes squeezing shut until Caleb stopped what he was doing and focused all he could on her, his hands shaking as he cupped her cheeks and brought her back to him. He'd done this before, but with her it felt like the first time all over again. "Look at me," He whispered, kissing her lips gently as she opened her eyes again.

"I… More…"

He sent her a small smile, letting his own eyelids pull together as he kissed her harder, his tongue searching for hers as she laced her fingers through his hair. She moaned into his mouth, feeling one of his hands run down the side of her leg to pull her knee up as he pushed his hips forward more.

The head of his cock crowned into her and he felt himself sink deeper until he felt resistance; it was her virginity. He grasped at her hips, stroking the skin until he cupped her cheek with one hand, encouraging her to focus on him as he withdrew his cock slightly before pushing through her barrier with one hard thrust.

She whimpered against his mouth, her fingers digging into his scalp as she felt herself stretch unnaturally to accommodate him. He gave her a moment, letting her adjust as the music continued to filter through the speakers into the room, "It'll be good," He tried to reassure her, "I promise it'll be good."

She nodded and bit her lip as he started to move inside her, "I know," She gasped, "I trust you."

He blinked his eyes shut at her words. She trusted him. She gave to it to him so willingly. He didn't know what he was feeling; it was exhilarating, it was comforting, it was loving… it was acceptance. He felt accepted by her; that she wanted him for who he was. He'd only felt that once before and he'd had it ripped away so quickly that he didn't know if he could allow himself to feel like _this_ again.

"It's good," Hanna gasped, bringing him straight back to her, "Caleb."

"Hanna," He murmured, burying his head against her neck as he continued to thrust into her, helping her find her rhythm as she started to move her hips against him, searching, grasping, pining for more.

She was so tight and wet and with the way she was making his cock feel, making him feel, he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. And then she squeezed him with her inner muscles and he had to drop his hand in-between them, searching for her clit so that he could give her _more_.

"Oh," She gasped as soon as his fingers came into contact with her hub, "Caleb."

"Let go," He urged her, begged her as he felt himself build closer and closer to his peak, "Hanna," He moaned, squeezing his eyes shut as he bit down on her neck, her coil snapping catalyzing his release as he spilled into the condom.

He searched blindly for her mouth, kissing her gently as their chests fought against each other as they held onto each other tightly, "Oh my god," She breathed as he finally sat back and pulled himself out of her, collapsing on the side of the bed momentarily.

Her face dropped as he stood up, fearing the worst; she'd disappointed him, "Where are you going?" Her voice sounded small and he dropped his head to steal another reassuring kiss.

"I'll be one minute," He murmured, capturing her mouth again, "I can't be away from you for more than that."

She nodded and rubbed her lips together before he left the room, leaving her with only her thoughts for company. They were light and dark at the same time, and as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, she dreaded to think what she looked like.

"Don't do that," Caleb reappeared, still naked but with a glass of water in his hands for her.

"Do—"

"Think you're not good enough," He said, encouraging her under the comforter on the bed. He gave her the glass, waiting for her to drink before he placed it on the side and joined her under the covers. He'd seen how drunk she'd been and whilst he was infinitely sure she'd sobered up, he didn't want her to wake up feeling hungover… feeling any regret. "You're always good enough," He whispered, pulling her body close to his.

"Not always," She started to watch her hand as it drew invisible patterns on his chest.

"Always."

She looked up into his eyes, her lips forming a natural pout that did nothing but beg him to kiss her. So he did. Her stomach flipped and she rubbed up against him as he cupped her cheek.

And when he pulled back, it wasn't her stomach, but her heart flipping. In that moment, with the way he made her feel, she agreed with him; "Always."

* * *

When Hanna woke to kisses along her shoulder and a naked body pressed against hers, she had no qualms about surrendering herself to Caleb again as the morning light shone through the cream curtains. She was sore and even more unsure if what she was doing was right, but being intimate with him, offering herself to him again felt even sweeter without the light haze of alcohol covering her brain. Not that she didn't remember – she did. She remembered _every_ single thing about _being_ with Caleb. But reliving it all over again felt just as special and by the way he held onto her as they both climaxed together underneath the sheets, she knew he felt the same.

She knew it couldn't be just the two of them forever though and she found herself calling them a cab as it neared midday with the last one percent of her phone battery. If it had been Sean, she'd have expected him to take her out for breakfast, treat her to something that seemed to "fit" the event, but with Caleb there was no expectation. The probing kiss he gave her in the backseat of the taxi, his hands possessively holding her close to him was a gift enough. And without the weight of expectation, she felt freer than she ever had before.

She scampered up the driveway, praying none of the neighbours saw her in her clothes from the night before as she slinked into her house. "Hanna, is that you?" Ashley Marin yelled as she heard the door slam.

"Yeah," Hanna called back, heading straight for the stairs and slamming her bedroom door behind her.

She quickly changed into a pair of sweats and put her phone on charge, right before she heard the predictable knock at the door, "Can I come in?" Ashley poked her head round the door.

"Sure," Hanna said, reaching for her hairbrush.

"Did you have a nice time at Alison's?"

"It was fun," The blonde agreed, tying her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head before she moved over to her closet to grab her sketching pad. After the way Caleb had lit a fire along her skin, she had an indescribable urge to find a creative outlet.

"What's this?" Ashley asked, sitting next to her daughter as she settled herself on her bed.

"My sketches," Hanna said stoically, completely focused on the lines she was etching out on the page. She had to get her feelings down onto the paper now, before they were swallowed and drowned by reoccurring emotions that had been banished for the past 24 hours.

"Is this for school?"

"Yes," Hanna half-lied, "I have a History project and I'm doing some of my designs for it."

"Sweetheart, I'm not sure if that's really the best use of a project," Ashley reached our a hand to brush Hanna's hair back. "You should think about how you can use it to help your college applications."

"Do you know what," Hanna started, slamming her sketchpad shut and staring straight up at her Mom, "I lied."

"I don't understand," Ashley looked more than a little lost as her eyes searched Hanna for answers.

"This isn't for my History project, this is for me," She pushed herself off the bed as she felt the anger build.

"That's okay," Ashley tried to calm her, "It's a good thing to have a hobby."

"It isn't a hobby," Hanna spat. After the highs of her time with Caleb, she hated how being in her house made her feel. The angry tears rushed to her eyes and she curled her arms around herself in defense, "This is what I love, it's what I want to do."

"That's okay too," Ashley started, "Everyone has something they love doing."

"No," Hanna shook her head, cutting her off, "You don't understand," She tried to keep it together, tried not to let the tears spill.

"Tell me," Ashley soothed her, "I'm your Mom Hanna, you can tell me anything."

"I…"

"What is it? Tell me and I can make it better."

"I don't want to go to Cornell."

* * *

Across town, Caleb let himself into the Ackard's house as quietly as possible. All he wanted to do was go up to his room and crash – god knows he hadn't got much sleep with Hanna's body pressed up against his – but he knew his plans were a pipedream when he heard the all-too-familiar sound of scampering feet approaching from the family room.

"Caleb!" Penny gasped, rushing towards him and flinging herself at his legs.

"Hey," The brunette whispered, picking her up and holding a finger against his lips in a 'shhh' sound, "We need to be quiet," He said, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs and headed straight for his room.

"Caleb," She gasped again as he put her down, racing over to him as he sat down on his bed, "Can we play?"

"No," He shook his head, curling up on the bed.

"Why?" She pouted, her eyes filling with water as her sometimes-uncontrollable emotions began to get the better of her.

"Because I'm tired," Caleb explained. "I need to nap."

"Penny," A voice at the door startled them both, two heads whipping round to see Sean leaning against Caleb's doorframe, "If Caleb's tired, you need to leave him alone. I'm sure Mom would like some help getting the cookies ready for the bake sale at Church."

"No," Penny pouted, crossing her arms in a harrumph. "Cookies are boring."

"Oh really?" Caleb teased her, poking her in the belly and trying not to laugh as she fought as hard as she could to keep the scowl on her face.

"Dude, I can take her if you want," Sean looked at Caleb understandingly, making a small movement into his room. "Do you want her to leave you alone?"

"It's okay," Caleb shook his head as he spoke stoically, "She can stay."

Sean didn't say anything but nodded, loitering in the doorway as if he had something else to say but he couldn't quite find the words to articulate his thoughts, "Are you coming to Church tomorrow?" He eventually spluttered out as Penny gave up her fight of defiance and moved up the bed to sit closer to Caleb. She simply loved being close to him, loved trying to figure out the stranger who'd come into her house and flipped her world upside down.

"No," Caleb said simply, running a hidden hand down Penny's back. "But if you want to ask me something, you should just ask me," He called him out. There relationship was odd at best and neither had yet to figure out how they could actually communicate.

The blonde took a deep breath before opening his mouth, "Does Hanna ever talk about me?"

"How would I know?" Caleb shrugged as Penny leant across him to grab his beaten up iPad.

"I thought you guys were doing a project together," Sean pointed out, "And Mom said you were helping her with Maths the other day."

"Sure we have school stuff together," Caleb agreed, giving little else away, "But we don't talk about other stuff."

"Do you think she still… likes me?" Sean swallowed nervously; Caleb could tell from his face he only wanted to hear one answered and for the life of him, he had no idea why. It wasn't just Sean's communication that Caleb was trying to work out about him.

"Dude, I'm just doing what I need to do," He muttered, "That doesn't involve talking about random shit. Ask one of her bimbo friends that she's always hanging around with."

"Yeah," Sean nodded, thinking through the information, "Thanks," He muttered, shooting him one final glance before he slinked off back to his room, leaving Caleb with a blonde curly-haired six-year-old who looked like she had every intention of doing anything but sleeping. That needed to be changed stat.

"Hey," Caleb grabbed her attention, pulling the iPad from her hands, "If you're here, you're here to sleep."

Penny pulled a face and looked more than willing to start an argument until she sent her a warning look. She _hated_ that look, but she knew what it meant and did what was starting to become a habit; curl up with him in his bed. "Caleb," She started gently.

"What?"

"Are you my brother?" She asked so innocently, he almost wanted to cry.

He sighed, his eyes closing momentarily as he thought about what was best to say. There was still only one thing that sprang to mind, "No," He said gently, "I'm not your brother."

"Then why are you staying here? Mommy says that only brothers or sisters stay here for a long time with us and you've been here foreber!"

"I'm… a friend," Caleb faltered.

"But—"

"Your Mom…" He cut her off, knowing exactly what was going to come out of her mouth. "She's right," He said, squeezing her tight against him, "Usually it is brothers and sisters that stay here for a long time, but I'm different and that's okay too."

Penny was silent for a moment as she processed what he was saying, "I want you stay foreber and be my brother," She said, tugging on his hair, "You're better at the Mommy pony voice than Sean," She whispered quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear the low-blow she was shooting at her brother.

"Sean's a pretty good brother," Caleb reminded her gently, standing and holding back the covers for her before he made his way over to the door to shut it properly. "I'm going to sleep," He said, climbing into bed.

"Me too!" Penny called determinedly, moving close to him again. "We need to sleep so that we can play later. Tilly told me she is excited for you to play with her later cos she knows you'll help her to look after the baby horseys properly. They can be bad sometimes."

"I was up playing too long last night," He muttered to himself as he flicked the light off and settled back against the pillow with his eyes shut, hoping his actions would encourage her to do the same - he really wasn't in the mood to discuss Tilly the Mommy horse with as many family problems to deal with as his social worker.

It only took a few seconds before he was already half-asleep, half-aware of Penny who was shuffling against his side as she tried to find the comfiest spot. And when she finally stilled, he found himself being pulled fully into the land of dreams as his recent exertions finally caught up with him – that was, at least, until a tiny voice spoke for the final time. "I love you, Caleb."

He felt tears stinging the corner of his eyes as he felt acceptance for the second time that day. It was only natural for the reciprocal words to fall from his mouth. And whilst it was like journeying into the deepest darkest part of his brain to find a foreign language he'd only spoken once in his lifetime, his lips opened and the words tumbled out. "I love you too Penny."

* * *

 **Emotions building... Sweet sweet Penny, she's very important glue. Review? xox**


	9. IX

**_Reuploading..._**

 **Sorry, I know it's been a while. It won't be as long until the next one, promise.**

 **Thank you for all your reviews, they mean everything. Warning, read at your own discretion.**

 **Enjoy below...**

* * *

 **IX**

* * *

Hanna spent most of her Sunday avoiding the text messages from her friends. She was grateful that even under the influence of alcohol on Friday night, she'd managed to ply them with a believable justification for her disappearance; she hadn't felt well and needed to go home. She'd just kept that lie going and used it as a reason to not meet up over the weekend.

In all actuality, she'd actually spent the two days trying to stop her Mom from freaking out at Hanna's admission that she didn't want to go to Cornell. She'd never expected her to be happy about it, but she'd also thought she would've been a little more supportive. She'd felt the inexplicable need to tell Caleb and his response of _You want this, she knows that deep down,_ whilst not being overly sweet had comforted her and allowed her mind to settle.

She was going to stand by what she'd told her Mom. Cornell wasn't her dream. Somewhere else was.

On Monday, she strolled towards school and headed straight for her friends who were sitting round a table near the sidewalk, feigning a recovery from her illness. Three of them undoubtedly believed her, but the twinkle in Alison's eye told Hanna she knew better. Still though, she managed to turn the topic onto the blonde and Noel momentarily before Alison for once didn't want to be the centre of attention and turned her icy glare towards Aria who was looking more than a little sheepish.

"What happened?" Hanna asked, squinting in the sunlight at the petite brunette. She really didn't care that much but she knew Ali could be an unwelcome bitch sometimes.

"Aria's been sleeping with my brother," Alison filled in for her.

"I thought you were just helping him out with work," Hanna said dryly.

"That's what we all thought," Alison rolled her eyes, "Until she got thrown out of the club for having her tongue in his mouth and her hand down his pants."

"Like you can talk Ali," Emily shot. Hanna looked across at her; was that _hurt_ in her eyes?

"Did you get thrown out too?"

"No."

"But she did go home with Noel," Spencer informed her.

"You went home with him?" Hanna's heart started to race. "To his house? In Rosewood?"

"Where else would we go?" Alison asked, her interest piqued.

"I don't know," Hanna tried to say as casually as possible, "His cabin or somewhere."

"His parents were away," Alison confirmed, "We practically did it in their bed."

"Ew, Ali!"

"What?" She shot a glare at Aria, "I wouldn't be surprised if you and Jason had done it in _my_ parents' bed."

"Ali, stop," Emily implored.

"Why?" The blonde asked pointedly, "Everyone knows brothers are off-limits."

"They like each other," Emily argued, "They should be allowed to be together."

 _Thanks Em_ Aria mouthed.

Alison did little to hide her scoff, "I need a cigarette."

"It's 9am…" Spencer shot her a weird look just as the bell rang.

Alison rolled her eyes, "You need to get laid Spence," She said before she stalked off as she spotted Noel lingering on the steps, leaving her four friends rooted where they were momentarily.

Aria sighed and stood too, linking arms with Hanna, making a move to head inside. Internally Hanna felt relief that her secret was still safe for another day and as she squeezed Aria's arm tightly against hers, she could only grin widely at her friend. "Glad I didn't miss anything then."

* * *

Later that morning, Hanna found herself daydreaming as she sketched a new skirt on a random page in her Maths book. She'd zoned out as soon as Mr Pang had started talking about integration again and she didn't expect to come back into the real world until the bell went. As her pencil hit the paper, she thought of Caleb, she thought of their night together, she thought of everything he was making her feel. It was light, it was dazzling, it was free. And that was exactly what she wanted this skirt to represent. Maybe they could use it for their project together.

"Hanna."

She vaguely heard someone say her name, but she ignored them, pouring all her energy into her sketch.

" _Hanna._ " The voice said again as a shadow suddenly loomed over her. She looked up to see Mr Pang stood right next to her, more than a little unimpressed.

"Hi Sir," She said meekly, grateful that everyone else seemed to have their heads down getting on with some questions they must have been set. It helped as well that her seat was in the back corner of the room and she seemed to be the last person he was coming to speak to.

He sighed, deciding not to reprimand her. Instead, he placed a piece of paper down on her desk, covering the sketch she'd been working on, "You're getting there," He said as she eyed the bright red 'C' that had been circled and underlined twice, "But maybe you should think about getting somebody from the tutor centre to help you."

"I already have a tutor," Hanna said stoically, flipping the paper over to have a quick glance at where she'd gone wrong. How much did FIT care about Maths?

"Then I would suggest you spend more time with them," He said before floating past back towards the front of the class.

She stared at the paper for another minute until the bell rang, pulling her from her thoughts. She had every intention of heading straight to lunch when a shadow appeared next to her again. She looked up, expecting to see Mr Pang reappearing to tell her off about her sketches but instead she came face to face with… Sean.

"Hi," He smiled at her. "How did you do?"

"Erm…" Hanna swallowed as she shoved her stuff in her bag, "I got a C," She said. "I guess it's better than last week."

"Nice."

"How did you do?" She asked politely.

"A," He grinned at her.

"That's great."

"Yeah, I guess Caleb's helped a lot," He said. Hanna smiled at him again, making a move to exit the classroom. She wanted her lunch. "About that," He added suddenly, "I just wanted to say to you that he's helped me a lot."

"You just said that," Hanna looked at him, a little confused.

Sean shook his head, not sure why he was so tongue-tied, "I was going to say that I don't want you to think that because of what's happened between us he shouldn't help you anymore."

"Oh."

"In fact, I'm gonna tell him that he should spend more time with you."

"Ooo-kay."

"Seriously Han," He started, "I know how much you want to go to Cornell and Caleb can help you get there."

"Right."

"I know he might not seem like a great guy, but Penny adores him, my Mom seems to have become attached to him and I guess I like him as well."

"Did he say something to you?" Hanna narrowed her eyes as they made their way into the hallway, both of them heading towards the cafeteria.

"No," Sean shook his head innocently, "You just haven't been around to the house since… since we broke up."

"Yeah," Hanna sighed. "I guess not."

"You should."

"Should what?"

"Come over…"

" _Sean_ ," Hanna closed her eyes, "We're not—"

"I know you don't want to get back together," He cut her off, "But I don't want you to not get to where you wanna be just because we're not together."

"Wow." Hanna rolled her eyes, unseen to her ex-boyfriend. Did he have to sound like such an egotistical idiot? "I'll spend time with him," She shot him a sarcastic smile; although she doubted he could read into it. "Thanks," She called, turning on her heel and walking in the direction they'd just come from. "Does he have to be such an ass?" She muttered to herself.

"Yes," She tried not to scream as the arm that accompanied the voice reached out and pulled her into one of the empty classrooms.

"Caleb," She gasped, holding a hand to her chest.

"Hi," He murmured, bending his head to press an open-mouthed kiss on her lips.

"Hi," She smiled up at him as he wrapped a territorial arm around her waist.

"I hope you weren't talking about me," He said, tilting his head to the side.

She sighed again, trying not to blush as he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, "Sean," She eventually replied, glancing over her shoulder as she heard a noise in the hallway.

Caleb pulled her further into the classroom, close to the wall so that they couldn't be seen. "He wants me to still tutor you," He smirked, his hand running under her top to caress the tender skin of her waist.

"I know," Hanna gulped and then frowned, "He said he hadn't spoken to you about it yet."

"So what do you say?" Caleb ignored the last part of her statement.

Hanna bit her lip, "You already are tutoring me."

"Tonight," He muttered, his nose nudging hers. "Let me tutor you tonight."

Her eyes closed as she took him in his scent, her heart racing as he simply enveloped her. "Where?" She breathed.

"The cabin." He pressed his lips against hers, "5pm."

She nodded as his finger grazed her jawline. "Tonight," She whispered. And then he was gone.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Hanna slammed her laptop down, as Alison appeared next to her in the quad, her eyes naturally trying to figure out what the blonde was doing by herself as she stared at her laptop so intently.

"Ali," Hanna growled. "Do I look like people can sneak up on me or something?" She muttered to herself.

"Who else has?"

"Sean," Hanna gulped.

"What does that twat want?"

"Ali."

"What?" She feigned innocence, "He is a twat. Noel even says he's being an idiot to the boys on the team, mugging them off about extra practice for the past month."

"What?" Hanna's brow furrowed as she processed what Alison was saying. "Sean's been at practice every day."

"That's not what Noel says."

"Then..."

"What were you looking at?" Taking advantage of Hanna's momentary confusion, Alison stole her laptop and opened it up, her eyes popping as she looked at the page Hanna was on. "Why the hell are you looking at birth control?"

"I… I…" Hanna stammered, "I get bad cramps and it's supposed to help."

"Liar."

"Whatever," Hanna muttered under her breath, stealing her laptop back and slamming the lid down again.

"Han," Alison started slowly, "Did you and Sean have sex before you broke up?"

"No!" She all but shrieked, "God no."

"Then why are you looking at contraception?"

"Why not okay?" Hanna argued, "If I wanna go to a party and have sex then I need to be on the pill and that's not gonna happen by just sitting here and waiting for it."

Alison shook her head, "Why are you going to have sex at a party?"

"Why not?" Hanna yelled, shoving her laptop in her bag and standing up before she stormed off and left Alison thoroughly confused.

* * *

Hanna felt butterflies in her stomach as she parked her car up next to Noel's cabin. Her eyes scoured the building for any signs of life and she couldn't help but smile as they settled on the skateboard that was propped right next to the front door. She had no idea how her and Caleb had suddenly ended up in this situation but she couldn't deny the feelings it invoked with her and right now, she couldn't wait to see him.

She grabbed her bag that was on the passenger seat and made her way in, pushing open the door tentatively and calling Caleb's name.

"Hey," He appeared in front of her, coming from a room she'd never been in. She tried to peer round him to see what was in there, but he shut the door quickly and distracted her as his arms pulled her close to him.

It only took a moment before his lips had descended onto hers, caressing tenderly as his tongue probed at the seam. She suppressed a moan and instead tightened the grasp of her fingers as they weaved their way into his hair before he pulled back and simply looked down at her as she tried to regain some composure. She had no idea what he was thinking, but she smiled as he ducked his head to press another gentle kiss against her mouth. "Got your books?" He asked, separating from her and making his way down the hallway.

"My books?" She asked, following him into the living area.

"I said I'd tutor you," He said, taking a seat on one of the sofas. He held his arm out for her to join him, so she did, settling next to him but just far enough away so that he'd pull her closer. And when he did, it made her feel everything she thought it would.

"Oh."

"Sean texted me," He added. "He told me about your test."

"He shouldn't have done that," Hanna felt her stomach drop with embarrassment.

"Despite him being a bit of a douche," Caleb started, "He does care about you."

"A bit?" Hanna muttered under her breath.

"He doesn't get you," He said gently, brushing her hair behind her ear, "He thinks you're this all-American, Ivy-league attending perfect girl," He murmured, his thumb running down her cheekbone.

"And you do?"

"I can read you pretty well."

"Then who am I?"

"You're passionate about what you love," He told her, "Right now you're just starting to realise what you want," He whispered, "And it's not what everyone thinks you want," He said, "A different perfect," He whispered in her ear.

"Oh."

"Parsons are gonna care about your Maths grade."

Hanna tried not to let her mouth drop, "P-Parsons?"

"That's where you wanna go right?"

She swallowed, his words and his hands making her feel all sorts of off-balance. "Yeah," Her brow furrowed, "But how did you know?" Most people thought she wanted to go to FIT but she'd been to New York City so many times to see both of them and Parsons was just... her. He got... her.

"Like I said," He whispered as she moved to straddle his lap, her hair creating a curtain around them as she dropped her forehead down to rest on his, "I can read you pretty well."

She said nothing as his hands went to her waist, holding her in place as she tilted her head slightly before placing her trembling lips on his. Just when she thought she was starting to figure him out, he blindsided her. And whilst it made her think twice about every single thing to do with him, it also filled her with a thrill she wanted over and over again.

All of a sudden, he was taking control, kissing her harder as his mouth opened and their tongues met. Every time they touched she was taken to the same place with him; in bed with their naked bodies intertwined, in school with their lips hastily connecting, in the hallway with their hands reaching for each other. She wanted him now.

"Caleb," She breathed as they separated for a second, his hands pushing her black cardigan off her shoulders before he was tugging the grey tank top she had on underneath out of her skirt and over her head.

Her head fell to his shoulders as his hands cupped her bra-clad chest, thumbing the flesh that was almost spilling over the top of the baby-pink lace. And then his thumb was replaced with his mouth as he began to suck on the skin. She groaned, her eyes squeezing shut as she held him against her chest before she pushed him back, eagerly rushing his faded red plaid shirt down his arms so that she could reach the dark t-shirt he had on underneath.

"Hanna," He murmured after she'd pulled the offending material over his head and immediately reached for his belt buckle. "Slow," He encouraged her, one hand cupping the back of her head as the other weaved it's way up underneath her skirt. He pushed her panties to the side as she arched up a little, his fingers finding her already starting to get wet as they ran up and down her slit.

Her head dropped to his shoulder, her lips against his neck as two of his fingers danced at her entrance, tantalisingly pushing against it before they ran up to her clit and began to circle. "Is that good?" He whispered in her ear as she bit down on his skin to contain a mewl and his fingers rubbed her nub harder.

"Caleb," She gasped as he stopped and pushed his hand further down until he was teasing her entrance again. He moved his head and encouraged her lips towards her, their mouths meeting just as he pushed his finger in. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers lacing through his long hair as their tongues danced.

His fingers moved inside of her as they kissed, his hand squeezing her waist tightly as her inner muscles continued to tense around his digits. Her hips began to move against him and when his thumb found her clit she knew she was reaching the edge. So she stopped him, her hand jerking from his hair to his hand, pulling him away from her so that she could reach for his belt again.

This time he didn't fight her, letting her shove his dark jeans down as he lifted his hips for her. He wanted her so badly. He was scared that he needed her so badly.

He helped her along the way, kicking his shoes and remaining clothing off until he was naked and she was left in only her skirt. He wanted all of her and she only encouraged him as he reached for the zipper at the side, pulling it down with her panties. He blindly thought about protection but then she was consuming him again, her body wrapping around him as she settled right on top of his erection.

She reached between them, pumping him a few times as they kissed again and again before she was guiding him to her entrance and sheathing him in her wet heat. She felt pain again as he stretched her impossibly again, her body still becoming used to the size of him before it mellowed and she started to feel pleasure as she rocked slightly.

He let her take the lead, his hands roaming her body as she became more confident before they settled on her hips and encouraged her into a slow rhythm. "Good?" He asked breathily, opening his eyes to see her nod before their lips were pushed back together again.

He felt like he was so deep, deeper than he'd been before and Hanna found herself still battling with the mixed sensation of pain and pleasure. It was like he could tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling and as he reached down in between them to find her clit again, the pain disappeared and all Hanna could focus on was the indescribable place he was taking her to.

"I…" She stuttered as she dropped her forehead to his shoulder again, her eyes squeezed shut once more as she moved her hips more. His free hand laced through the back of her hair, holding her against him as he started to thrust his hips up into her, remnants of control starting to disappear as the feelings she was stoking within him began to become too much.

"Close?" He murmured in her ear, his eyes shut too as he pushed in even deeper.

"Uh huh," She gasped, her fingers digging into his skin as they both felt her muscles squeezing him.

"Hanna," He groaned as she finally snapped.

It was too much for him and as she sagged against him completely spent, he spilled himself inside of her and held her tightly, trying to hold onto the moment for as long as possible. They were still and silent, just the sounds of their ragged breathing filling the room as they clung onto each other.

She eventually found the energy to lift her sweaty forehead, resting it on his as their lips gently found each other. She sat back a little, smiling as he stared into her eyes before she kissed him again and then settled against his chest contently.

"We should do some Maths," He teased her, his hands splaying across her naked back.

"We should," She agreed, not making any effort to move. "Can we put some jazz on?"

"We can put jazz on."

Neither of them made an effort to move and the comfortable silence settled again until Hanna spoke once more, "Caleb?"

He looked down at her, his hands still in her hair as she stared up at him with her big doe-like eyes. "What?" He asked her gently, not sure what she was about to say.

"I really want to go to Parsons."

* * *

 **Review? xox**


	10. X

**Happy PLL day... oh wait. I hope this goes some way to making up for not having any haleb on our screens this week.**

 **Yall seemed to be a little mixed on their unprotected dalliance last chapter. This will answer a few questions. And... it's time for somebody to finally find out about them.**

 **Enjoy below...**

* * *

 **X**

* * *

"Hanna, you're going to be late," Ashley Marin yelled on Tuesday morning.

"I know," Hanna came charging into the kitchen, dressed in a black dress with a grey cardigan, heading straight for the coffee machine.

"I've already done it," Ashley dangled her travel cup in front of her. "And here are your keys."

"Thanks," Hanna mumbled, grabbing both from her hand.

"Is everything okay?" The older woman asked, "You're not usually late for anything."

"Yeah," Hanna swallowed and shook her head dismissively, "It's fine. I'll see you tonight," She said, heading straight for the door.

"Hanna!" Ashley called after her - she could tell when her daughter was lying to her. All she got in response was a door being slammed.

Outside, Hanna was fumbling with her car keys, jamming them into the ignition as quickly as possible as she raced to get away from her Mom's suspecting gaze. She _hated_ that she was so transparent sometimes.

She reversed out of the driveway, glancing only once before she sped off down the quiet suburban road. She had _no_ intention of going to school that morning - she had other appointments to attend, none of which included consultation with or an invitation to her mother. Or anyone for that matter.

She pulled over when she was a safe distance away, reaching for the piece of paper she'd printed off and dumped on the passenger seat. "Where are you?" She muttered to herself, her eyes scanning the document for what she wanted.

 _29 N 9_ _th_ _St, Allentown, PA 18101_

She typed the address into the maps on her phone, hitting go on the directions.

"You will arrive at your destination in one hour and two minutes."

"Good," She sighed to herself, closing her eyes momentarily before she propped her phone up on the central console and began to drive. She stewed during her time alone, thinking about Caleb for most of the journey, thinking about herself for a little less of the time, thinking about _them_ for more time than she'd like to admit.

She didn't get it. She'd been with Sean for a few months and he'd never ignited any of the feelings Caleb had in a few weeks. It was starting to scare her how much his words, his body, his company meant to her - how much she needed him.

The sound of the navigation on her phone telling her she'd reached her destination was sweet relief from her thoughts. Being alone and driving to Allentown has felt freeing whilst her brain sent her into a constricting thought overdrive. God, she needed human interaction. And she was just about to get it.

She parked up, grabbed her bag and headed straight for the building she had her appointment in, wasting no time heading through the doors to the reception.

 _Planned Parenthood_.

"Miss?" A kind receptionist stopped her as she tried to walk straight in, "Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes," Hanna managed to croak out, although her mouth had never felt so dry. "Hanna Marin," She said quietly, "I booked it last night," She swallowed, "As an emergency."

"Ah," The nurse nodded, her eyes scanning the computers. "We're running a little behind schedule this morning," She glanced towards the reception area, "But take a seat, you'll be called through as soon as possible," She smiled reassuringly. "You'll need to fill out your medical history too," She added, handing Hanna a form and clipboard. "Complete this and take it through with you."

Hanna nodded, doing as she was told and sitting herself down in one of the hard plastic chairs before she tackled the form. It was the first time she allowed herself to properly look at her phone. There were texts from all her friends asking her where she was – one from her Mom too asking if she really was okay. She ignored them all until her eyes focused on one.

 _Where are you? You've ditched me in History._ _C_

 **Allentown x**

If she thought he wouldn't ask any more then she was wrong. Immediately another message came in.

 _You shouldn_ _'_ _t be there_

 **Why?**

 _Come back to Rosewood_

 **I can** **'t**

 _Why_

 **I have an appointment**

 _With who?_

 **The doctor**

Her phone began to vibrate in her hand, Caleb's name flashing across the screen as he called her. She was tempted not to answer, but a higher power told her she should, so she did. "Hi," She said quietly.

"Why are you seeing a doctor?"

"Because," She replied, his husky voice sending shivers down her spine. God, anything to do with him sent her crazy.

"Because what?" He probed, "We were supposed to listen to some jazz together."

"Trust me, this is more important."

"Yeah?"

"We… we didn't use protection yesterday," She finally told him, her voice trembling. "I'm sorting it."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going there?"

"Because," She repeated her earlier non-answer.

"Don't move."

"Caleb," She pleaded, "Don't come here."

"Tough luck," He muttered before the line went dead. She sat there, gnawing on her bottom lip for another 10 minutes until a doctor called her name. She had no idea what he was thinking, coming all the way out there. It had taken her at least an hour and as far as she knew, he didn't have a car so… he was just being completely unrealistic about the whole thing.

"Hi sweetheart," The warm female doctor greeted her as she took a seat in her office.

"Hi," She said meekly.

"How can I help you today?"

"I… I need to get a pill."

"A pill?"

"The morning after pill," Hanna clarified, swallowing the saliva that had built up in her mouth.

"When did you have unprotected sex?" The doctor asked, taking her glasses off her face.

"Yesterday," Hanna answered meekly, "It was yesterday evening."

"Okay," The doctor nodded, turning to her computer screen and typing in a few details before she took the form from Hanna's trembling hands, "Before I can do anything, I'll need to take your height and weight and blood pressure," She explained, "And then we can discuss birth control, okay?"

"Okay," Hanna nodded, relief shooting through her body. "Will I be able to get it today."

"You should be able to," The doctor nodded, "But let's get you checked out first," She stood, guiding Hanna towards some scales in the corner. She silently went through her checks, jotting a few things down, "You feeling okay?" She asked, noticing Hanna's shaking hands as she finally stood on the scales.

"Yeah," Hanna nodded, taking a silent deep breath, "Just worried."

"Everything's going to be fine."

The young girl squeezed her eyes shut, taking one step forward as she stepped onto the cold metal material. She refused to look down at the number, staring at the wall straight ahead of her until the doctor told her she could step away and return to her seat.

"Hanna," She said gently, encouraging her to look at her, "Almost everything is perfectly healthy, but you are a little underweight for your height."

"I know," Hanna nodded, cutting her off, "I'm seeing my doctor about it," She lied, "I've had this thing and he's helping me."

The doctor sighed, taking her in. She could tell Hanna wasn't necessarily telling her the whole truth but she had to let it go and instead handed Hanna a leaflet, talking through different types of contraception before she agreed to prescribe her the morning after pill. Hanna immediately asked to go on birth control too, asking her to write her a month-long prescription for the pill before she could get an appointment with her OB-GYN.

The doctor agreed and wrote out another prescription for Hanna to collect at a local pharmacy, counselling her on how to take them and what she should do if she missed one of the doses.

Hanna was infinitely greatly she didn't ask more questions; this was all so new and scary to her. She was just trying to grapple with figuring herself out, let alone the thought of another human being that had her DNA. That needed to be avoided for as long as possible.

As she soon as she left the clinic, she headed down to the pharmacy the doctor had said was the closest, picking up the drugs she'd asked for and immediately heading back to her car. She sat down in the drivers seat, staring at the tiny pill in her hand before throwing her head back and swallowing it down with water. She sighed once she was confident it had gone all the way down, leaning her head back against the headrests with her eyes shut. She needed to be more sensible about these things in the future.

She could feel herself falling asleep, the silence of her surroundings lulling her into a place of comfort as the emotional strain of the morning finally dissipated.

But the quiet was suddenly disrupted as someone pulled the door to the passenger side open. Hanna screamed in shock, her hand coming to her heart and her mouth shutting as she realized it was only Caleb climbing in. How the hell had he got there so fast, and how the hell had he found her?

"Caleb," She breathed heavily, "What…?"

"Noel dropped me off."

"Noel knows?!"

"Noel doesn't know," He shook his head, reaching out to cup her cheek, "He thought he was dropping me off here for business."

"Caleb."

"I'm serious," He said defensively, "He doesn't know."

"Fine."

"Why didn't you tell me what you were doing out here?" He asked her, holding her chin in between his thumb and finger as she tried to turn her head away.

"Because."

"I am sick of you using that word today."

"Caleb," She rolled her eyes, "I don't have to tell you everything."

"Hanna, I care about you," It was his turn to roll his eyes as he spoke exasperatedly, "I don't want you out here on your own."

Hanna opened her mouth – she didn't know whether to push him on his feelings or to ask him why he didn't want her out in Allentown. "You care about me?" She went with her heart not her head as he leant forward and pressed a meaningful kiss against her lips.

"Of course I do," He whispered, "You know I do."

"I don't, actually," She said boldly. He'd never spoken about any feelings he had for her before.

"You want me to show you?" He murmured, his voice full of teasing undertones.

"Maybe," She muttered.

"Turn the car on," He said suddenly.

"What?"

"Turn on the engine," His hand dropped to her leg, grazing her inner thigh. She did as she was told, the car grumbling to a start. "Follow my directions," He added, directing her back the way she'd initially driven, out of Allentown and along the highway back towards Rosewood. She had no idea where he was taking her but she trusted him and followed every instruction.

They got close to the outskirts before he told her to turn off, guiding her towards the forest that bordered the North side of the town. And then, he told her to turn off the ignition.

"Is this the part where you kill me?" She murmured, staring across at him.

He let out a small smile, his lips curling upwards, "No," His voice teased her as he leant across and kissed her, "This is where I show you," He whispered, his lips trailing down her neck, across her shoulder, before back into the crevice of her neck.

"We're in a forest."

"We're alone in a forest."

"We could be alone in a house."

"After."

* * *

It was almost 1pm by the time Hanna and Caleb got back to Rosewood. They headed for her house first, grabbing her sketchbooks before they headed to Caleb's for the afternoon. He suggested staying at hers on the pretence that there was less chance of somebody walking in on them but Hanna shook her head defiantly – her room just reminded her of everything that was holding her back and it was the last place she wanted to be right now. Especially if she was supposed to be putting pencil to paper for some of her design ideas.

So they found themselves in Caleb's bedroom, sweet jazz music playing in the background as Hanna drew out a new dress and he finished smoking a cigarette. He took a final drag and stubbed out the cigarette butt on the ashtray on the windowsill before lying back on the pillows, taking his time to just _watch._ She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever had the pleasure of touching, of talking to, of being with.

He couldn't help but sit up, simply wanting to be closer to her. "Pretty," He murmured, his hand trailing down Hanna's back as his lips found the side of her face.

"I didn't realise you liked dresses," She teased him, trying to fight the sensations he created as his fingers danced over her skin.

"I like you," He stated simply, reaching into his bedside table for a clear bag. "Do you care?" He asked her, holding it up.

She shrugged, "What is it?"

"Weed," He said casually.

"No," She shook her head, "Can I have some?"

He chuckled, smiling at her, "Let's share one first," He told her, kissing her pouting lips before he expertly rolled a spliff and lit up. He took a couple of drags, exhaling the smoke before he handed it to her, "Remember what to do?" He asked tenderly, running a hand down her hair.

She nodded, breathing in through her stomach and holding the smoke in her mouth for a couple of seconds before breathing out, "Can't they smell it?" She asked him, looking around the room.

He shrugged, "The window's there for a reason."

She held the roll-up to her lips again, taking another hit before handing it back, "I like it," She said quietly.

He grinned, wrapping a free hand around his waist and pulling her closer to him in between his legs, "I like you," He murmured again, pushing his mouth onto hers again.

"You care about me…" She tilted her head, looking into his eyes playfully, "You like me…" She said, laughing as he rolled his eyes, "Do you want me to say it back?" She teased him.

He shook his head, taking another drag as he fought the smile that graced his lips, "I don't need you to say it back."

"Well," She placed her sketchbook on the floor, scooting closer to him, "I like you too anyway," She whispered, placing her hand on his leg.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows, holding the blunt up to her lips.

She nodded, breathing it in, "Really," She said, taking another drag and handing it back to him.

"Feel good?" He murmured, watching her eyes start to glaze over - she was so tiny, it didn't take long for it to have an effect on her body. She nodded again, watching him finish it off and throw it into the ashtray.

"Good," She agreed, watching as he finished it off before throwing the remnants into the ashtray.

She wanted him. She wanted him now.

She moved on top of him, letting him pull her whatever way he wanted before their lips found each other's. "Mm," She moaned as his hands cupped her arse, hitching her dress up above her hips before one danced around to her front and teased her above her panties.

"You're so gorgeous," He muttered against her mouth as she hovered above him.

She didn't say anything, just let her lips trail down his jaw, her hands moving across his chest as she shifted back on her heels and sat up. She ran her tongue across her lips, moistening them as she reached for the button on his jeans, pulling it open and encouraging him to lift his hips so that she could pull them down.

He watched her with interest, revelling in the fact that she was taking control of the situation. Every other time it had been him, but this told him that she wanted all of this too. He was grateful the weed hadn't affected him fully yet and he could feel himself growing in his boxers as she cupped him above the material. "Han," He breathed as her hand pushed itself beneath the waistband.

She pulled his cock out, pumping him a few times before her head descended and she enveloped him in her hot mouth. He couldn't help but let out a groan, his hand running to her hair to keep her where she was.

Her tongue swirled around him as she bobbed her head and he couldn't help but feel like he was close to blowing his load as she used her hand to pump the base of his dick too. "Fuck," He grunted, letting her have her moment for a short while longer before he pulled her off him and back over him as he came perilously close to the end. "Ready?" He asked her, rolling her panties down her hips for her to kick off.

"Wait," She gasped, "Wait," She reached for his bedside table, feeling around for a foil wrapper that she eventually produced in her hand.

"I thought you got the pill?" He asked, taking the condom nonetheless and sheathing himself in it.

"It's not effective for a week."

"Mkay," He mumbled, kissing her hard as she settled on his hips, her wet heat settling right over his cock.

She gasped, reaching down between them to guide him towards her entrance, sitting up a little and then sinking down as she took him in. "Caleb," Her eyes squeezed shut as she revelled in the sensations, before he was reaching for her dress and hastily pulling it over her head.

He laid back, his eyes roving her body as she moved on top of him, grinding her hips as his hands went to her thighs. He grunted, throwing his head back against the pillow as he let her take him places he sometimes forgot he could go. "Slow," He encouraged her as she began to jerk her hips a little, clearly wanting more friction.

"I can't," She grinned, leaning down and covering his body with hers as she ran her fingers through his long hair, her mouth seeking his.

He let her go with it as they kissed, their tongues duelling as she took them closer and closer to the pinnacle. He was adamant about not doing any work and just soaked in everything Hanna was as. Suddenly she was moaning more, her noises vibrating through her throat before he felt her climaxing. It was enough for him to spill into the condom too, holding her in place as she writhed on top of him and he tried to prolong the moment for as long as possible.

"Fuck," She murmured, rolling off him onto her back. "Have girls always told you that you're good?"

"Good?" He tilted his head to look at her, pulling her close. "I've never heard good."

"Great?"

"Usually they're speechless."

She laughed - more than she should have done. But it was the weed in her system heightening her emotions. "This is better than school," She said quietly, propping her head in her hand.

He stared at her, leaning across to gently capture her lips. She was living and feeling and that was all that he wanted.

They both jumped apart as they heard the front door slam, scrambling from the bed to pull their clothes back on. "No one should know that we're here," Caleb reassured her as she began to panic. "If anyone shows up we can just tell them we were working on our project."

"We were," Her worry suddenly disappeared and she grinned lazily at him, collapsing back down onto the bed and reaching for her sketchbook.

"We are," He corrected her, kissing her hard.

She nodded, reaching for one of her pencils before she began to work again, her back against the wall as she rested the book on her bent knees. "Maybe we should run away," She said casually.

"And where would we go?" He reached for another cigarette, climbing on the bed and hanging out the window as he smoked it.

"The cabin," She shrugged. "It could be our hideaway."

He grinned at her, "It already is our hideaway."

"I guess."

"There's a party on Friday," He remarked, taking another drag, "You gonna come?"

"Maybe."

He finished his cigarette quickly, stubbing it out before tipping the contents of the ashtray out of the window. He grabbed some air freshener and sprayed it around the room, trying to mask the smell of everything they'd been doing. "You better," He eventually mumbled, kissing the side of her head.

"Maybe we can just never come back."

He sighed to himself, picking up some dirty clothes from the floor before spraying the room again, "But then you wouldn't have Parsons."

"Sometimes it seems easier to leave and never come back."

He paused in front of her, cupping her chin, "When you want to leave, you just let me know."

She smiled at him as he gripped some of her hair, both of them just looking at each other until they heard a noise at the door. "Hello?" Caleb called, separating from Hanna as the door creaked open.

"Caleb?" A tiny voice called as Penny revealed herself.

"Hey," He said with relief, squatting down and holding his arm out for her. She ran over, leaning against his chest, "What are you doing out there?"

"Playing," She said nonchalantly. "Mommy's on the computer. Can I play with you?"

"Hey P," Hanna made her presence known.

"Hanny!"

"You want to draw with me?" The blonde asked as Caleb picked Penny up and placed her on the bed next to Hanna.

She nodded excitedly, immediately beginning to scribble as Hanna ripped out a piece of paper from her notebook and handed her a pencil. "What are you going to draw?" Caleb asked, grabbing his laptop before he settled on a beanbag in the corner of his room.

"A horsey," She said casually, "Going to a cabin."

"Why's it going to a cabin?" Hanna asked, running her hand through Penny's hair.

"It's their hidey-way."

"For what?" Caleb sat up a little straighter, looking at Hanna as their eyes met with concern.

"For when the horsey runs away."

* * *

 **Oh Penny, so sweet, so innocent. Review? xox**


	11. XI

**Warning, this contains very strong adult themes. Read with caution.**

 **Guest** \- single bed against the wall with bedside table on the right

 **Guest** \- they're not going to meet him for another few chapters yet

 **Guest** \- might write some of the gifs, really depends if the scene fits. If not, I may post a deleted scenes chapter at the end.

 **Enjoy below...**

* * *

 **XI**

* * *

Hanna left school early on Friday afternoon, convincing Alison to ditch with her so that they could go and get ready for Noel's party at the cabin properly. After her week at school, she wanted to look really hot for Caleb and that required Ali's help. The blonde seemed infatuated too with her own party host and so it had only taken one comment for her to agree to marching out of the school gates.

They headed straight to Ali's house, both of them knowing she had both a better selection of liquor and outfits that were suitable for getting drunk and hooking up in the woods with and in.

"What do you think?" Alison asked, stepping into her bedroom in a black leather mini skirt and mesh see-through top.

"You look amazing Ali," Hanna said sincerely. She'd always though Alison had a great figure; clothes just seemed to dance across her body in all the right places. It was completely different to her own opinion of herself - she'd always have her stumpy legs and fat pouch that never seemed to shift no matter how many times she threw up.

"I know," Ali tilted her head as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Do you think Em and Ben are going to do it soon?" She asked after a slight pause.

"Probably," Hanna shrugged, taking a sip of her vodka mixer that they'd made. "They seem pretty into each other."

Alison scoffed, unable to hide her disagreement. "If that's into each other, I'd dread to think what out of each other looked like."

"You don't think Em likes him?" Hanna asked, standing up and heading towards Ali's wardrobe.

"I know she doesn't like him."

"Then why is she with him?" She said, pulling out a white jumper dress that was soft to the touch.

Alison watched her take in the dress, stroking the sleeves before holding it out in front of her to look at it again, "Try it on Han."

"Okay," She agreed, turning around to pull her t-shirt over her head before replacing it with the dress and shoving down her jeans underneath. "Is it nice?" She asked nervously, stepping out of the denim and heading straight for the mirror.

"I hate how your boobs look good in anything."

"They're covered up?" Hanna frowned, looking down at the material that came up to her neck.

"But they make this," She grazed her hand along the hem of the dress, their eyes meeting in the mirror, "Skim your thighs instead of drown them."

"I guess."

"They're great tits Han. Don't underestimate the power they have over a man."

"Thanks."

Alison eyed Hanna up as she reached for her handbag and began to rifle through it for her make up. "So who've you got your eye on tonight?" She asked, trying to decipher exactly what was going on in Hanna's head. Post-Sean Hanna was different.

"Anyone but Sean," Hanna muttered as she began to touch up her foundation. "I hope he's not even there."

"I doubt he will be," Alison told her, "Noel says he just keeps on getting weirder and weirder. He's literally disappearing for hours at a time and skipping weights sessions. He used to do them religiously."

"I know."

"God, thank god you ditched his ass. Even if he is on for a full ride, I bet he was rubbish in bed."

"I wouldn't know."

Alison snorted, "Thank even more god you didn't lose your v to him."

"You're telling me," She murmured under her breath as she began to contour her cheeks. "He has a small dick anyway."

Alison threw her head back laughing as she collapsed back on her bed, "And how many dicks have you seen?"

"Enough to know," Hanna said calmly, applying her blusher and then highlighter. "I hate the way he made me feel," She muttered, more to herself than her friend.

Alison propped herself up on her elbows, thinking about what Hanna had said. "You know you've changed Han," She started, "You used to be afraid of going to sex ed and now you're talking about dicks like they're cookies."

"I was stupid back then."

Alison didn't say anything, her eyes burning into the back of Hanna's head. "Are you sleeping with someone?" She asked bluntly, waiting to see her friend's reaction. When she got none, her mouth dropped open, "You are."

"I'm not," Hanna quickly denied. "But there is a guy I fancy."

"Oh yeah?" Alison bought it too easily. "Do I know him?"

"He's from Allentown. I met him when I was there the other day."

"Why were you in Allentown?" Alison raised an eyebrow, bringing her cup to her mouth.

"I had to see a doctor and I didn't want my Mom to know about it."

"My my," Alison smirked, "You really are earning some bad girl stripes aren't you?"

Hanna ignored her question, starting her eyeshadow as she changed the topic, "Are you talking to Aria yet?" She trailed off, prompting Alison to start a scathing rant about their friend.

Hanna tuned out, nodding when she thought she had to and making agreeable noises when Alison looked at her expectantly. But her brain lingered on Ali's question about bad girl stripes... If only she knew.

* * *

By the time Hanna and Alison finally made their way up to Noel's cabin, the music was already pumping and the alcohol was clearly flowing for those who'd decided to show up. The girls were already there too, although Alison did her best to completely ignore Aria as she brushed past her to greet Noel.

"Where have you guys been?" Emily asked as soon as Hanna stopped in front of them, "You skipped last period."

"I know," Hanna nodded, "We had stuff to do."

"Well can you 'do' stuff outside of school hours?" Emily growled, "I had to pair up with Bridget because you weren't there and you know how bad her breath smells."

"Sorry," Hanna rolled her eyes as she pulled her into a hug. "I promise I'll be present with minty fresh teeth next week."

"Thank you," Emily sent her a grateful smile, "Want a drink? I need a refill anyway."

"Sure," Hanna nodded, squeezing her hand as a thank you before she turned to Aria. "Ali's on the war path so don't mention anything to do with Jason to her."

"I don't think she'd let me look in her direction anyway," The brunette muttered, sharing a knowing look with Spencer.

"It's fine to like people who are different," Hanna reassured her, "She knows that deep down," She added, "But she's used to everyone being focused on her - including her brother."

"Don't I know it," Aria rolled her eyes. "He is really good in bed though..." She trailed off.

"Aria!" Spencer exclaimed, "I still can't believe you lost your virginity before me."

"Why not?" Aria frowned, prompting her and Spencer to get into a debate about her current relationship or non-relationship status with Toby. Hanna left them to it, following the route Emily had taken into the kitchen to grab a drink whilst keeping a look out for Caleb. She had an undeniable urge to know he was there, to see him, to feel him for herself. She thought she caught a glimpse of him next to Ali and Noel who were engaging in more than a little PDA, but when she looked again he wasn't there; she convinced herself it was her desperate mind playing tricks on her.

God, she really was becoming obsessed with him. She craved the way he made her feel.

"Han," Emily called for her, a red solo cup held out in her direction.

"Thanks," She smiled, suddenly feeling a little overdressed compared to everyone else mingling around her. Her black high top converses fitted right in, but the blazing red lipstick she'd put on made her stand out a little too much for her liking. There was still the old Hanna Marin inside of her, lacking confidence like she always had done.

"I love your dress," Emily said, reaching out to touch the material covering Hanna's arm.

"It's Ali's," Hanna commented distractedly. She didn't notice the frown that crossed Emily's face as her eyes roamed the room for any sight of Caleb.

"I didn't realise you skipped with her..."

Hanna didn't have a chance to respond as Ben Coogan appeared, pulling Emily into his arms and guiding her towards the back of the room by themselves. Hanna didn't want to know what they were about to get or not get up to and she certainly didn't want to spend time in the kitchen by herself looking like a loser either. She replaced what little she'd drunken from her cup and headed for the door, stepping outside in the night air to cool down. She had to get a grip on herself, not go loopy because she couldn't see a mysterious long-haired teenager anywhere.

"Don't be her," She shook her head as she walked towards the edge of the woods. She wouldn't be that girl again, desperate for a boy to be into her as much as she was into him.

She'd just about settled herself on a log in the dark when the kitchen door opened again, revealing Caleb without his top on, his long hair flipped over onto one side as he looked around in the night sky. She had no idea if he was looking for her and not enough confidence to call out and ask, so she sat there in the dark and watched him pull first a cigarette and then his phone out of his pocket.

He lit up and held the cigarette between his lips as he furiously typed out a text on her phone.

 _You better not have bailed on me_

Hanna's phone lit up in her lap as his message came through. She smiled. Maybe her feelings were quite so isolated.

 _I can see you_

She sent straight back, holding back a laugh as she watched his head jerk up once he'd read the message. He spotted the light from her phone illuminating in her lap and shook his head, taking another drag as he jogged over to her.

"Hi," She murmured as he got closer.

"You hiding from me or something?" He asked her, not giving her a chance to respond as he leant down and pressed a hard kiss against her lips. She felt his free hand tangle in her hair, holding her in place as he pulled back enough to bite his lip and take in her face, before he dived straight back in for more. "Been looking for you," He murmured, running his thumb along her cheekbone.

"I've been hiding from everyone else," She told him as he stood back up straight, drinking everything she was in.

He held his hand out for her, pulling her against him before he hooked his arm around her neck. "Fuck," He muttered, getting a better look at her face as the light from the cabin glowed into the night. "You are so gorgeous," He whispered, their eyes pooling into each other's before he couldn't resist kissing her again, letting his lips linger over hers as her hands gripped his skin. "You put red all around my mouth?" He grinned, letting his hand hooked around her graze her jawline.

She nodded, biting her lip to fight a smile before she brought one of her hands up and rubbed at his lips with her thumb. "Better," She mumbled, burying her face in his neck as he pressed his lips against the side of her face. "Where's your top?" She asked, stealing another kiss.

"Inside. You gonna come with me?" He asked her quietly, both of them instantly separating as the kitchen door swung open. Caleb pulled them a little further into the woods, shielding them from the light as they watched Ben follow Emily out onto the patio.

"Why are you being like this?" The brunette yelled, trying to grab onto her arm as Hanna flinched next to Caleb. Emily shrugged him away and paced forward, a worried frown marring her face.

"It doesn't feel right."

"We will have to have sex at some point Emily."

"Can you stop talking about it?"

"Why?" Ben yelled, "Sex between a boyfriend and a girlfriend is normal."

"Then maybe we should break up," Emily yelled back, turning on her heel and making a move to step round her boyfriend. But he blocked her and pushed her back, taking her by surprise, "Ben!"

"You're not going inside," He said angrily, shoving his mouth onto hers.

"Get off me," Emily did her best to push him off her, but he grabbed her harder, forcing her to stay in front of him as he tried to kiss her again.

"Hey!" Caleb stepped out of the dark, ditching his cigarette in a flower bed as he moved towards the couple. "She said no idiot."

"I know you're friends with Noel but don't go thinking you can stick your nose in bro."

"Emily, do you want him to get his hands off you?" Caleb asked calmly, sending her a reassuring look. She nodded. "Are you gonna take them off?" He turned to Ben.

"Are you gonna make me?"

"I will if I have to," He said stoically, "Take your hands off her."

"No."

Caleb immediately pulled his fist back and launched it at Ben, hitting him in the face, sending him reeling back in shock and prompting Hanna to come running out of the woods towards them, "Caleb!" She yelled as Ben lunged straight back for him. But he leant back, narrowly avoiding the first that went past his nose.

"That's enough," Caleb grabbed the black-haired boy by his shoulders, shoving him roughly up against the wall. "Don't go near her again," He warned him, letting his grip on him loosen as he pushed him towards the door.

"You know one call and I could have this whole place shut down," Ben warned him, holding his face where Caleb had hit him. "Doesn't matter how many white housewives you're selling marijuana to; the cops will throw you in jail."

"Do that and you'll face the wrath of Kahn," Caleb murmured. "Don't be a dick."

With that, Ben disappeared back into the house, leaving Emily a little shaken with Hanna who was half concerned about her friend, half concerned about the state of Caleb's fist. "I can't believe you punched him," She shook her head, pulling his hand into hers so that she could inspect the damage, uncaring of Emily seeing her so close to Caleb.

"He deserved it," Caleb shook his head, "You okay?" He asked Emily, raising an eyebrow and pulling his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket again.

"Thanks," She nodded and smiled tightly, "He was really drunk tonight."

"Hey, no means no," He reassured her, taking a drag before offering it to her as he ran a casual hand down the back of Hanna's hair. "Trust me."

Emily took the cigarette from him, inhaling before letting out a deep breath. "That feels a lot better," She sent them both a shaky smile, "Lucky you were both out here," She whispered, more to herself than them. "Are you two...?" She trailed off as she noticed their body language, how close they were, how comfortable they were.

"Don't say anything," Hanna begged her with her eyes. "Please."

"Of course I won't," Emily frowned and shook her head, "But why are you keeping it secret?"

"People don't need to know," Hanna said quietly, looking down at the ground. "Sean... My family..."

"They'll be happy for you Han. You know they will."

Hanna scoffed, "My Dad loves Sean more than he loves me. I'm not sure I can sit down on Sunday evening and say, hey, sorry I dumped that boy you wanted as a son but I'm now fucking his foster brother, yeah, that one that you heard about having a criminal record but please be happy for me."

Emily swallowed quietly, not missing the intimate details Hanna had just divulged. "Well I'm happy for you," She whispered, handing Caleb his cigarette back before pulling Hanna into a tight hug. "I'm gonna go find Aria," She said, "Say thank you from me."

Caleb waited for her to disappear before he turned to Hanna and stubbed out his half-finished cigarette. "Let's go inside," He told her, his mood dropping instantly as more sober thoughts filled his mind. Sometimes things seemed too familiar, he thought, heading straight back into the throng of party goers with Hanna behind him.

"Are you annoyed? I'm sorry I told Em." She muttered unconfidently, trying to stay on his tail as he headed towards a room that was usually out of bounds right at the back of the cabin. "Where are we going?" She pushed him again as he opened the door and let her in before immediately shutting and locking it behind her. She just wanted him to talk to her, but he'd shut down so quickly.

"Where the fuck have you been?" A male voice snapped in Caleb's direction. "I was supposed to be done 30 minutes ago," A bearded man with tattoo sleeves on both arms stood up from the sofa, a cigarette in his mouth.

"Sorry," Caleb simply said, "I had to punch some twat who thought it was okay to force his way onto a girl."

The two shared a look that wasn't missed by Hanna who was stood silently near the door, trying to keep one eye on Caleb whilst figuring out where they were. There wasn't much in the room, just a ratty old sofa, coffee table and some equipment that seemed to be resting on it. She squinted a little, trying to make it out but focused back on the two of them as the black-haired man looked in her direction.

"And who's this?"

"This is Hanna," Caleb turned to her, holding his hand out for her again. "This is Tommo. He's an old friend."

"Hi," She said meekly, waving at him tentatively as Caleb squeezed her other hand.

"Hey," He grinned, making her feel instantly relaxed. She had no idea who he was, but if Caleb trusted him - which it seemed like he clearly did - then she trusted him too. "Come on then," He nodded towards the sofa, "I've got to get going soon."

"What are you doing?" Hanna asked as Caleb climbed onto the couch, lying down on his front with his back angled towards Tommo.

"Getting a tattoo," He replied simply, "Fuck," He spat as Tommo started up the electric needle that had been on the table, "I was supposed to have a nicotine buzz to do this and that idiot's just messed it up."

"Try not to scream like a baby," Tommo muttered as he brought the needle towards Caleb's skin after prepping him. Hanna watched as it pushed into Caleb's skin, turning it red as Tommo followed a design that had clearly been agreed. It was only as Hanna stared at the trail of blood that was being left behind that she noticed the ink that was already etched just above where Caleb was getting his new tattoo. How had she never seen it before? They'd been naked... a lot, and yet she had no clue that he had something permanent etched into his body. She rolled her eyes at herself; not like she'd been staring at his back as she focused on being good in bed.

But now she wanted to know if there was anything else he had on his body. Any other secrets he was hiding from her. Of course there were secrets, she chastised herself, but she should have been able to know if he had a pizza slice tattooed on his butt or not.

She creeped forward, desperate to see exactly what he was getting tattooed and tried not to gasp as her mind rationalised what she was seeing. _Penny_.

It was tiny, but it was there. He was getting Penny's name tattooed and she had absolutely no idea why. She stared a little harder and that's when her eyes caught sight of the black letters that were already permanently etched into his skin.

 _Kennedy_.

Who was Kennedy? Her heart started to race a little faster as she tried to remember if he'd ever said that name before, ever mentioned the name in passing to someone else, ever mumbled something in his sleep. There was nothing. She swallowed, trying to moisten her mouth that had suddenly turned dry; who got a girl's name tattooed on them when they were god knows how old? Who was she? What did she mean to him? A string of jealousy suddenly surged through her body; she wanted him to be hers and hers only. She was the only one he should be baring his soul to, baring enough to to get her name tattooed.

"You're done mate." Tommo's voice pulled her from her thoughts as Caleb sat up, cussing under his breath.

She watched him glance in a mirror that Tommo was holding up for him before he sent him a snort nod, running a hand down his face, "This has seriously killed my buzz," Caleb muttered.

Tommo shoved the mirror in his rucksack before rustling around and pulling out a small plastic bag with white powder in it, "I've got this if you want it back," He muttered, chucking it at his half-naked friend.

Caleb eyed the bag before warily looking up at Hanna. It didn't go unnoticed.

"What is it?" Hanna asked, confidently stepping forward to try and take it from him. But he jerked it away from her, pulling her down onto his lap instead and wrapping his arm around her waist as Tommo covered his tattoo.

"Coke," He told her, pressing his lips against her exposed neck. "You don't want it," He told her as Tommo packed all his stuff away.

"Are you having it?" She whispered, turning her head to look him in the eye.

"Maybe," He sighed, "Your friend's boyfriend fucked my night up."

"Ex-boyfriend," Hanna said firmly as he encouraged her off his lap and stood up, reaching into his back pocket for a ratty wallet. He pulled out a credit card and dollar bill before Hanna watched as he proceeded to crush the bag with the card. "I want to do it."

He paused, looking up at her before sharing a look with Tommo. "She's your girl," He shrugged, answering Caleb's silent question.

"How much have you drunk?" Caleb asked her as he began to cut the powder with the card on the back of his phone.

"Only at Alison's."

"Babe," He sighed, "This isn't weed."

"I know," She dropped to her knees next to him, running her arm across his shoulders as she leant forward to gently capture his lips with hers, "I want to do this with you."

He stared into her eyes, trying to tell how drunk she really was. He blinked and shook his head; he was finding it harder and harder to say no to her. "Fine," He agreed, "But you're only doing one line," He muttered, lining it up for her before rolling up the note. "Okay?" He asked her, watching her closely as she nodded before moving her head down to inhale the powder up through the bill.

She handed it silently to him, watching as he prepped his own line before breathing it up into his nose. He threw his head back, running a hand through his hair as he remembered exactly why he'd felt the need to do this. "Tommo," He handed it over to his friend who shoved it back in his bag as Caleb reached for his wallet again. "Here," He handed him two twenty dollar bills.

"Call me," Tommo reached out to shake his hand before he quietly let himself out of the room. Caleb followed him to the door, locking it behind him again leaving him and Hanna alone once more. He turned around to look at her, sat on the sofa with one hand in her lap as she rubbed at her nose with the other.

"Do I have anything?" She trailed off as he sat down next to her, pulling her back onto his lap.

"No," He shook his hand, grabbing her hand and pulling it towards his mouth to press a tender kiss against her skin. "You feel it?" He asked, his fingers dropping to her bare thigh, running up under the hem of her dress.

She nodded, his eyes and his touch sending her mind in only one direction. There was no going back now. She dropped her head down, pushing her mouth onto his hard as he fell back against the sofa, clinging onto her waist as she moved her legs and straddled him, her hands running through his hair as they kissed and kissed and kissed.

He pulled back, both of them gasping for their breath as the thumping of the music filtered through the walls. He only had to take one look at her face to know he was falling.

She was breaking down his walls, making him feel things that he swore he'd never feel.

He reached up to gently tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I'll get your name next."

* * *

 **I got asked on Twitter if Caleb is an addict. Hopefully this makes it clear that he uses drugs as an escape. He's balancing using them with his feelings for Hanna. She's his new drug. Review?**


	12. XII

**It's been a while but I'm back and I will finish this story. The epilogue means too much to me to never get posted. (yes I've already written it)**

 **Now this isn't a _massively_ Haleb centric, but there is a bit of a plot reveal at the end so hang on til the end. Not as dark as the last chap - that was very much Caleb reacting to the situation and regressing to past patterns of behaviour. **

**Anyway... enjoy...**

* * *

 **XII**

* * *

On Monday morning Hanna found herself idly doodling in her Maths class. Mr Pang was going on and on about the sine rule and she really didn't care - plus she was still trying to recover from Saturday night. Her and Caleb had disappeared from the party and snuck into his house at 3am before they'd stayed up until the early hours of the morning having more than a little fun with each other. She remembered waking up, curled in Caleb's body as they both heard the front door slam as the Ackard's had gone off to Church. They'd known they had another hour to themselves then, and well… She almost blushed at the thought as her mind drifted off, but she forcibly pulled herself together as a piece of paper was slammed down in front of her.

"Hanna," She looked up to find Mr Pang stood in front of her. "I'd care more about your daydreaming if you hadn't done so well," She glanced at the pop quiz they'd had last lesson to see the letter A written in red and circled twice for emphasis at the top of the page. "Well done," He sent her a smile, "Keep it up."

"Thanks," She murmured, grabbing the paper to glance over it just to check the marks were right.

"Hey," She turned to her right as Sean began to talk to her. "How'd you do?" He asked, both of them pausing as the bell rang.

"Pretty well for me," Hanna held up the paper for him to see.

"Congrats," He smiled, "I know how much your Dad gets on your case about this stuff."

"Yeah," She swallowed, "He'll be happy I guess."

"Guess we've both got to say thanks to Caleb for sorting us out," He chuckled, waiting for her to pack up her bag before he began to walk with her out of the classroom.

She smiled genuinely at him, "He's been great," She agreed, "I guess I should say thanks," She said quietly, "For letting me still get some of your brother in our break up."

"Don't worry about it," He nudged her shoulder, happy that they seemed to be able to have a normal conversation again. He missed having Hanna as his friend. "You know Penny keeps asking how long he's gonna be around."

"Yeah?" She asked timidly as they headed towards her locker.

"I keep telling Mom she's getting too attached but then she just has this look on her face which means I know they want to keep him around," He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he smiled.

"You think they're going to adopt him?"

"Well he's 18 in March, but I think they want to give him a forever home, you know?" He looked at her, "Mom has a soft spot for trouble teenagers," He added, "Anyway," He shook his head, "I should get to class."

Hanna was quiet as she processed what he was saying, before she suddenly found her voice as he began to walk away, "Hey Sean," She called after him, making him stop in his tracks and turn towards her, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," He sent her a questioning smile, "Why?"

"It's nothing," She shook her head, "Ben just said on Saturday that you've been skipping training. I know how much football means to you and I don't want you to mess up your chance of getting into college."

"It's just a few sessions," He blew her off, "Everything's fine," He said reassuringly, before glancing at his watch, "I gotta get to class," He muttered, "Mrs. Handelson is a bitch on timekeeping."

"Yeah," She agreed quietly, shooting him a wave before he ran off. She _knew_ Sean - he didn't just skip a few sessions. Everything was _not_ fine. But she hardly had any time to think about it before the bell rang again telling her she was late for her next class. She forewent her notebook from her locker and practically ran down the hallway, clinging onto a pillar as she reached a corner before she almost screamed as she came face to face to Caleb. "Why do you always do that?" She asked, catching her breath as he glanced over his shoulder before grabbing her waist. "Caleb?" She demanded as he began to walk her backwards down the now empty corridor. "I have Biology," She attempted feably as she felt her back hit something hard.

"Shh," He hushed, checking both ways again before he opened a door and guided her inside, pulling it shut behind them, "I tell you that vein twitches way too much."

"Which vein?" She harrumphed, running her hand to her forehead.

"That one," He grinned, kissing her forehead gently.

"Well if you stopped suddenly appearing out of the blue it wouldn't."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side as he grinned at her.

"You're not allowed to look at me like that in school," She murmured, dumping her bag on the floor before she wrapped her arms around his neck, unable to resist touching him, being close to him. She'd instantly forgotten about Sean the moment she saw him; he was all-consuming.

"Like what?" He asked, his hands stroking her waist.

"Like you're about to jump me," She whispered, "In the janitor's closet."

"But I am about to jump you," He whispered back, dropping his nose down to nudge hers.

"Caleb..."

He said nothing, pulling her closer to him as he let his lips meet hers, pushing hard as he walked them back against them shelves that were against one side. She kissed him back - there wasn't a part of her body that told her not to - pulling on the roots of his hair as she felt his tongue brush against her lips.

"Mmm," He moaned, bringing a hand up to cup her jaw as he tilted his head to the side.

"Caleb," She bit her lip as she smiled, pulling back from him for a moment.

"What?" He teased her.

"Nothing," She conceded, throwing her arms around him tighter and pushing her mouth up onto his again, smiling against his mouth as they both let their tongues meet. He was the best kisser she'd ever had the privilege of having - sure, there hadn't been _that_ many but the way he could send tingles throughout her whole body she knew wasn't the usual make out experience.

He entertained her mouth for a few more minutes before he pulled back, smirking as she fort to catch her breath a bit, "What are you doing this weekend?" He murmured, looking down at her with a suddenly tender look on his face.

"I don't know," She whispered, looping her fingers on the top of his belt hole.

"You wanna run away with me?"

She stared at him before letting out a small laugh in disbelief when he said nothing, "Caleb..."

"I'm serious," He broke out into a smile, "I was thinking we could head to New York for a couple of days."

She slapped him playfully, "That's not running away," She shook her head up at him. "What's in New York?"

"Well," He reached up to tuck a strand of her short hair behind her ear, "I know Parsons are having an open day."

"I—"

"But I'm pretty sure you know that too."

"Is that why you want to go? Or is it something else?" She pushed him. After the party on Saturday, she hadn't yet plucked up the courage to ask him about Ben Coogan's implication that he was involved in dealing drugs in Rosewood.

"I think it's important for you," He said evasively, ghosting his thumb along her jawline. "I want you to go after what makes _you_ happy," He added, "Not your Dad."

She softened, finding herself leaning into him more, "At the moment it feels like I'm happy wherever you are," She found the words tumbling out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. "Sorry," She immediately muttered, dropping her head.

"Why you saying sorry?" He whispered, "That's how you feel."

"I know," She grimaced slightly, "I just don't want you to feel awkward."

"Why would I feel awkward?"

She shrugged a little, glancing up to look him in the eye.

"Pretty sure you're making me feel the same way."

She let herself smile, connecting their lips gently before she pulled back slightly, "Don't forget about Penny too," She reminded him.

"Oh yeah," He rolled his eyes jokingly, "I love it every time she strolls into my room unannounced and asks what I'm doing."

"You know you do," She teased him, simply enjoying his smile as he looked down at her. "Caleb..." She eventually murmured quietly, hip lips pursing as he sensed something serious about to come out of her mouth.

"What's wrong?" He said tenderly, cupping her cheeks gently. It scared him how much he worried about her, cared about her.

 _Who's Kennedy?_

It was on the tip of her tongue. Who was the person behind the other name that was permanently etched on his skin?

"What?" He pushed her, sensing her hesitation.

She sighed quietly, chickening out. She didn't have the guts to push him on it right now… it would have to wait for another time. But she could see him looking at her expectantly. She knew there was only one thing she could say, "Let's run away to New York."

* * *

After making sure he and Hanna snuck back out into the school halls like nothing had happened, Caleb spent most of the day with his mind wandering to the weekend. He'd lived in New York for a short time when he was younger – when he'd been naïve enough to think that fostering could turn into forever – and this would be the first time he'd be going back.

He'd almost promised himself he'd never enjoy the city again, but he knew he cared enough about Hanna to want her to simply experience it, to be able to imagine her leaving Rosewood for somewhere where she actually wanted to be. It was scaring him how much he wanted to do just for her.

"Get a grip," He muttered to himself as he pushed open the door to the Ackard's home. He could tell Helen was home by her car out front and he wasn't surprised when he heard a rush of steps heading straight towards him to find out who was walking through the door.

"Caleb!" Penny shrieked excitedly, throwing herself at him as if it had been days since they'd last seen each other.

"Hey P," He chuckled, hugging her tightly with one arm as he dumped his bag at the bottom of the stairs.

"Caleb?" Helen called from the kitchen, "Sweetheart, is that you?"

"Yeah," He yelled back, reminding himself silently to not get too used to the term of endearment. Helen and Jonathan had gone out of their way to make him feel at home since he'd first arrived, but he knew that was their job - he had to remind himself there was nothing else too it too often for his liking. He'd built up walls for a reason.

"Come on," Penny tugged on his hand, pulling him down towards the kitchen where she'd clearly abandoned her Mom, "It's so exciting Caleb!"

"What is?" He asked as Helen came into view.

"We're making brownies!"

"Wow," He took in the mixing bowl Helen had out on the countertop with a recipe book propped up on a book holder in front of her.

"It's a Monday," Helen reminded him, "We always need something naughty on a Monday."

He relaxed and smiled at her, taking a seat on one of the bar stools as Penny ditched him to head back to her perch on the other side where she was clearly helping from. "Penny," He grabbed her attention again, prompting her to look up at him adoringly, expectantly, "Don't get the egg shell in it, okay?"

"I promise I won't." She nodded vigorously, "They're gonna be so yummy!" She clapped her hands excitedly, taking a bowl of flour from Helen and pouring it into the bigger mixing bowl. "I'm going to make a special one for you Caleb."

"Thanks," He grinned.

"And we can eat it together and play horsies."

"I… can't wait," He shared a look with Helen.

"I know it's your favourite and it's my favourite too," She told him, "The Mommy horsie loves you so much."

"What a privilege," Helen shook her head knowingly in his direction, "What if Caleb wants to eat his special brownie by himself?" She challenged her daughter, brushing her hair behind her ear.

Penny stopped her mixing, turning her head to look at Helen as if she was an alien, "Best friends _share_ Mommy."

"Best friends, eh? What happened to Sean?"

"Caleb is more fun," Penny said nonchalantly, pouring in the sugar Helen passed to her.

"Sure am," He agreed, stealing a chocolate chip from a bowl that was laid out and popping it into his mouth.

"And Sean is always talking on the phone," She added casually, "He's _boring_."

"Right," Helen rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to say something else when the ringing of her phone cut them off. She excused herself silently, heading down the hallway to take the call once she saw the caller ID.

Caleb stood and moved round to the other side, watching over Penny closely before he gently cupped her hands in his and helped her crack the eggs. He took the shells from her and left her to stir the mixture together as he went to dump them in the bin, just as Helen came back in with a fraught look on her face, "John's car won't start," She said worriedly, "Caleb, do you mind if I go down to the Church to help him?"

"No," He shrugged his shoulders, "We can finish the brownies."

"Thank you," She squeezed his arm as she moved past him to grab her coat. "Penny, be good for Caleb, okay?"

"I will," The little girl said distractedly.

"We'll be fine," Caleb reassured her, sensing her reticence to leave. If only a broken down car was the worst thing most people had to face on a Monday, he thought to himself.

"Okay," Helen agreed, leaning down to kiss Penny on the cheek before she did to the same to Caleb on her way out. "Love you," She yelled halfway down the hallway.

"Love you!" Penny yelled back out of habit, turning to look at Caleb expectantly.

"What?" He frowned.

"You've got to say it," She ditched her mixing spoon and stood up taller, propping her hands on her hip.

"Say what?"

"Say you love us," She tilted her heard at him as if she were already a teenager. "It's what we're 'sposed to say."

He rolled his eyes at her but he knew she wouldn't give up until she heard what she wanted, and so a sarcastic, "Love you," left his mouth. "Now you gonna let me taste this thing or what?" He asked, grabbing a spoon and shoving it straight into the mixture, before shoveling it into his mouth.

"Caleb!" She yelled.

"Here," He passed her a spoon.

"I'm only allowed to lick the bowl when Mommy's here."

"Your Mom will never know," He reassured her, taking another spoonful. "Mmm," He exaggerated, "It's delicious, I think I'm going to eat it all."

"No," Penny cried, throwing herself at the brown goo. "I need some."

"You try it whilst I go and grab a special ingredient from upstairs," He told her, "We're going to make two batches."

"Okay," She muttered distractedly, trying not to get it around her mouth as she loaded a spoon up and guided it towards her face.

"Stay here," Caleb murmured, glancing at her one final time before he raced up to his room and grabbed the bottle of canna-oil he had stashed in one of the bags he'd never unpacked. He'd got given the stuff in his old foster home where one of the older boys would cook hash brownies regularly and told him he needed to get on it. The opportunity had never presented itself… until now.

"Caleb?" He heard Penny calling for him, so he rushed back downstairs, heading straight for her to see what the problem was.

"What's up?" He asked, placing the bottle on the side.

"I feel sick," She whimpered.

"Shit," He mumbled, looking down at the half-empty bowl. "Come here," He lifted her up and carried her over to the sink to wash her face, "Have some water," He poured her a glass, "And let's just put a movie on or something," He mumbled, settling her on the sofa with Moana playing on the screen before he headed back to the countertop to assess the damage.

If he quickly whipped up another batch with his canna-oil and said they were for his friends at school, no one would ever ask, he thought to himself. So he did, trying to follow the recipe in front of him as well as he could, but using his own special ingredient rather than the vegetable oil specified on the page. He shoved two different tins in the oven and did his best to wash up and hide any evidence of what had happened whilst the brownies cooked for half an hour. He didn't know how long Helen and Jonathan, or Sean for that matter, would be, but he was grateful when he was able to let the brownies cool and cut them up before they got back, wrapping his batch up in cling film and taking them upstairs to hide in his room.

Penny had almost fallen asleep, but he found himself settling down with her anyway once he was sure no one would figure out what he'd done, to finish watching the film. She crawled onto his lap, leaning back against his chest with a heavy sigh.

"Caleb," She started.

He sensed a question coming that he wasn't going to like, "Yes?"

"Who is Lucas?"

"Lucas?" He narrowed his eyes in confusion as she craned her head to look up at him.

"He goes to school."

"I'm gonna need some more info," Caleb muttered, "I don't have a lot of friends at school P."

"Sean likes him," She said casually.

"Then he's probably on the football team or something."

"Oh."

"Why are you asking about him?"

"Sean says his name a lot."

"Maybe they're doing a project together," He shrugged, "Like me and Hanna."

"Hanny," Penelope scooted down to run over to one of her toy figures in the corner, "She looks like Rapunzel," She held up the plastic doll that had flowing blonde hair.

"I guess she does."

"Do you like her?" Penny tilted her head at him.

"Yeah," Caleb nodded, "She's nice."

"Mommy says she's beautiful and Sean's silly 'cos he doesn't talk to her anymore."

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow.

"But I told Mommy that you talk to her instead and she said that was good that you had a friend."

"Nice," He folded his arms across his chest, letting out a wry smile. "So what else do I need to know about this Lucas kid you're asking about? You want me to find out who he is?" He was quickly realizing Penny was the biggest eves dropper and gossip in the house.

Penny opened her mouth to speak when his banged up iPhone began to vibrate on the side. "Who is it?" She changed tack excitedly, "Is it Hanna?" She asked, jumping up and down at his feet.

"How did you know?" He narrowed his eyes playfully at her. "Let's say hi," He accepted the FaceTime request, his camera pointing straight at Penny.

"Hanny!" She yelled, "It's me."

"Hi P," Hanna smiled, waving as Caleb flipped the camera and held it in front of Penelope's face so that she could see her.

"We made brownies," She told her eagerly, "And I ate from the bowl, but don't tell Mommy."

"I won't," Hanna promised.

"This is my dolly," She held up her toy, "I told Caleb it's beautiful like you."

"Can I talk to her?" Caleb interrupted, looking at Penny expectantly until she handed the phone over, "We need to talk about our school project."

"Fine," She huffed, lingering at his feet until he walked down the hallway a little and left her to play.

"Don't be mean," Hanna chastised him teasingly.

"Trust me, she's the mean one."

"Oh yeah, forcing you to make brownies is so mean," She rolled her eyes. "Anyway," She smiled at him, forcing his heart to stop beating for a minute, "I just wanted to tell you I told my parents I was staying at Ali's all weekend."

"Cool," He nodded, forcing himself to remember to breath. Sometimes he forgot how beautiful she was until it suddenly hit him.

"So… New York is still okay."

"Great," He sent her a small smile, "I need to think of what I'm telling Helen."

"I thought you didn't care?"

"I didn't… I don't." For some reason, he felt like he didn't want to betray their trust more than he already had, especially when he was skipping out on school on the Friday so that they could go straight to the city. If his social worker found out he'd probably be straight in her car and onto his next place. Right now, that seemed like the worst thing that could happen.

"Hey," Hanna grabbed his attention again, "Is everything okay?" That was the second time she'd asked that question today and she hoped the guy in front of her would be a little more honest about everything than the first.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about P," He glanced down the hallway, "She mentioned this guy called Lucas today," He frowned, "Said Sean talks to him all the time."

Hanna adjusted her glasses on her nose, "Lucas Gottesman," She agreed, "He goes to Church with Sean. Sometimes they had this thing at lunch together."

"Right…"

"Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't," He shrugged it off, "Anyway I should go and make sure Penny hasn't eaten all the brownies."

"Okay," Hanna agreed, sensing his mind running, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," He nodded, instantly feeling bad that he hadn't given her enough attention, "Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?" He lowered his voice, not missing the blush that graced her cheeks.

"I think so," She hid her smile.

"Call me after dinner," He made her promise, "And not from your bathroom."

"Promise," She whispered, shooting him one final smile before they disconnected their video call and he made his way back to the lounge area where Penelope was scrambling up onto the sofa to watch the last part of the film.

"You said I could talk to her again," She pouted unhappily.

"Hanna had to go," He told her, "Her dinner was ready."

"I'm not hungry."

"I'm not surprised," He shook his head, taking a seat next to her. "You got anything else to moan about or is that it?"

"You're mean," She stuck her tongue out at him.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes, "You sound just like Hanna."

"Do you like her?" She asked, suddenly looking up at him imploringly.

"Of course I like her," He agreed.

"Do you want to kiss her?" She giggled to herself.

"Penny…"

"You want to kiss her Caleb!" She shrieked, collapsing back on the sofa.

"I do not," He tried pathetically.

"You like Hanna," She teased him, poking him in the stomach with her foot as she laughed, "And Sean likes Lucas."

"That's right," He decided to try a different angle, "We're all friends who like each other."

"No," She shook her head, still giggling, "You want to kiss Hanna and Sean wants to kiss Lucas."

"Sean wants to kiss Lucas?" His voice dropped, and she nodded as she quietened down, turning her body so that she could rest against his side again.

"How do you know that Penny?"

"Sean talks loudly."

"On what?" He pushed her.

"Shh," She suddenly shushed him, climbing down again to get closer to the TV as the final scene played, "It's the end," She said as Caleb heard the front door open and close, followed by Helen and Jonathan's greeting.

He groaned to himself, running a hand down his face as he closed his eyes. He needed to find out more about his foster brother. And right now, until he knew more, he wasn't going to tell Hanna anything about it. She was in a good place – he'd taken her there for god's sake – he wasn't about to let her ex-boyfriend and his potential love life get into her psyche again. No, he'd protect her from any hurt she might feel, even if it mean evading the truth.

He narrowed his eyes on Penny.

He needed to speak to a certain six-year-old. Alone.

* * *

 **Well... let me know what you think. Something tells me we'll be in New York next finding out a little bit about Caleb's past and Hanna's future. Review my loves if you will, it means a lot xoxo**


	13. XIII

Well this took decidedly shorter than last time.

Ugh, you guys! Love your amazing reviews... hope you like this chapter as much as the last.

Enjoy...

* * *

 **XIII**

* * *

After Caleb's unexpected conversation with Penny on Monday afternoon, the week passed with relative normalcy. He was out of the house most evenings, either _studying_ with Hanna or helping Noel out with a few bits and pieces up at his cabin. Either way, it meant he'd hardly had any time to pick up his conversation with the six year old and find out exactly what she knew about Sean and this Lucas guy. And when he thought he might have had the perfect opportunity on Thursday evening, Helen's plans with Jonathan were suddenly cancelled at the last minute and for once Sean was in.

So he'd holed himself up in his room instead, packing for his and Hanna's departure the next day. They'd agreed that they'd go to school in the morning and then cut out at lunch so it wasn't completely obvious they weren't there - Hanna had tried to tell him that Emily would never forgive her if she left her alone with Bridget Wu again, but he'd convinced her that they had to get an earlier train so they could at least enjoy the evening in the city.

Plus, he knew the longer he left it the more chance he'd have of backing out. He hadn't been back to New York for four years and he'd have had absolutely no intention of setting foot in the city again until Hanna had stuck her pretty little face in front of his. Still though, didn't mean he wasn't feeling the knot of anxiety in his stomach get tighter by the hour.

He'd put on some jazz to try and untangle the tension whilst he rummaged around for the hash brownies he'd hidden in a sock in his chest of drawers. He stacked them on the floor next to the rucksack he was in the middle of packing before standing and reaching for his phone to see if Hanna had messaged him.

 _Got my confirmation email about Saturday_

He smiled as he read her message, typing out a short response before a sudden knock on his bedroom door jerked his body. Helen wasted no time pushing the door open, sticking her head round as Caleb quickly moved to try and subtly kick the brownies underneath his bed.

"Hey sweetheart," She smiled, "Do you have a minute?"

"Uh, yeah," He shrugged awkwardly.

"Are you packing for your weekend camping with the boys?" She glanced at the clothes on his bed that were folded neatly.

"Yep," He muttered, feeling more than a little guilt at the lie he'd fed to her earlier that week about Noel hosting a boys only camping weekend just outside his cabin.

"You looking forward to it?"

"Kind of," He said, reaching for his t-shirt to refold it, "It's basically talking crap and pissing in a bush," He murmured nonchalantly before blinking his eyes shut as he realised he'd cursed twice, "Sorry."

She waved her hand. "Just because my husband's the pastor doesn't mean I don't curse when he does something wrong. I'm just glad you're honest about what men really do when they're together."

There was silence as Caleb refolded his t-shirt againto keep his hands busy _._

"Anyway," Helen took a step closer to the bed, "You've been here a few weeks now," She took a seat next to him, "And I just wanted to see how you're feeling about everything."

"Everything?" He quirked a brow. Most foster families didn't care how he felt about anything.

"Well, living here," She said softly. "I know Penny loves having you around, that's for sure."

"Yeah," He couldn't help but smile genuinely as he thought about the innocent girl who'd managed to weave her way into a small part of his heart that was reserved for _very_ few people, "She's great," He looked down at his shoes. "It's all great," He mumbled quietly.

"Good," She smiled, "I know your last few foster homes haven't been easy," She reached out to rub his shoulder, "But we really want this to work out Caleb."

He was silent as he thought of Hanna, of Penny. For the first time in a long time, he really wanted it to work out too.

* * *

The next day Hanna found Caleb loitering on the front steps as he waited for her to ditch class. He smiled when he saw her, reaching for her hand as they began to walk down towards the sidewalk.

"Caleb," She murmured uncertainly, glancing around to see if anyone could see them together.

"What?" He asked, lacing their fingers. Ever since Penny had let slip about Sean and Lucas, the only person who he'd cared about not seeing them had suddenly become a non-issue. And after his conversation with Helen the night before, he felt more confident than ever about her being supportive, about people actually wanting him to be happy.

"What if..." She trailed off, squeezing his hand.

"I don't care anymore," He told her, letting go of her when they reached her car. "You don't wanna be seen with me or something?" He sent her a smirk as he looked at her over the car roof.

"No," She shook her head vehemently, "I just don't want to hurt Sean. He didn't take us breaking up very well," She sighed, opening up the car door and sliding inside, throwing her bag in the back. "He lied about us having sex to the whole school," She reminded him as he settled in the front seat, "Who knows what he'll do if he knows we're together."

"Hey," He reached out to cup her chin, a lazy smile on his face, "I don't think he'll care as much as you think," He told her, "And besides, we are having sex so he can tell who he wants."

She couldn't help but smile as she shook her head at him, reaching out to wrap her arm around his neck as she placed a kiss on his lips. He held her there, wanting to soak her in before she pulled back and started the car, "I need to go to yours first," She told him as she reversed out, "I left one of my sketchbooks there."

He shrugged in agreement and muttered, "Sure," before reaching for his phone to message the contact he had up in New York about the place they were staying. They were quiet as they drove to his, Caleb unquestioning as she parked round the corner in case someone was home and they had to sneak in. But there was no one so they raced up to his room, Hanna immediately rifling around under his bed where she'd shoved her sketchbook one afternoon.

"You know you really shouldn't keep food under here," She muttered, pushing herself up with a sketchbook and brownie in hand.

"You see any others under there?" He took it from her, dropping it next to him on his comforter.

"No," She shrugged, putting her purse back over her shoulder, "But it was dark. Why are you hoarding chocolate brownies under your bed?"

He pulled her down onto her lap, "They're hash," He grinned as she rolled her eyes at him.

"And you made them with Penny?" She shook her head in disbelief, wrapping her hands around his neck.

"Well she had her own batch," He squeezed her waist, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on her lips when they heard the front door slam, both of them freezing on the spot and sharing a confused look.

"Penelope Ackard you go upstairs to your room right now," They heard Helen yell.

"No," They heard a crying Penny scream back as Caleb quietly encouraged Hanna off his lap and walked towards his bedroom door.

"Until you tell me why you hit that boy at school, you need to think about your actions."

"She hit someone?" Hanna sent Caleb a questioning look as she whispered harshly.

"I guess," He shrugged again, pushing the door shut a little more as he heard more crying. A part of him wanted to stay and find out what had happened, what had made Penny so upset. But the other part, the bigger part, wanted to go to New York with the girl who made every haunting thought in his brain fade into the abyss.

He pulled Hanna close, pressing a hard kiss on her lips. "What was that for?" She fort for her breath as they pulled apart, both of them hearing the patter of feet as Penny raced upstairs.

Caleb held his finger to his lip as they waited for it to be silent again before he smiled at her cupping her cheek. "You ready to run away with me?" He murmured, stealing her mouth again.

"Penny!" Helen snapped close to them, making the pair recoil back closer to the wall. "I said go to your room and think about what happened today."

Hanna and Caleb looked at each other warily, waiting until they heard another door close down the hallway before he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room, racing down the stairs and quietly out of the front door while the coast was clear.

"That was close," Hanna clutched her sketchbook underneath one arm as they walked quickly towards her car, squeezing their interlaced fingers before they separated. "Thank god they didn't know we were there."

Neither had expected the six year old to notice his door moving. And neither had expected her to stop and see if her foster brother was hiding in there, a person who could offer her some comfort when she needed him. They'd been too caught up in each other to notice the eyes that peeled through the gap between the door and the hinge.

And they had absolutely no idea she'd heard _everything._

* * *

Caleb was quiet on the train ride, spending most of the time staring out of the window as they sped along to their destination. The little conversation they did have tapered off to silence the closer they got to New York and Hanna sensed Caleb's growing distance. But she didn't push him; for once she felt confident enough that he'd talk to her when he felt ready, so she simply pressed herself close to him and settled against his side as her focus returned to the open sketchbook in front of her.

"We're here," He eventually murmured as the train pulled into Grand Central Station, encouraging her up before he threw his backpack on and slung her hold all over his shoulder so that he could take her free hand in his.

"Do you know where we're going?" She asked as the busy commuters seemed to be moving in the opposite direction to them.

"Yep," He simply said, guiding her towards the metro entrance as he headed for the six line. He thought he'd have forgotten how to instinctively know what line they needed to take, but the map of the subway was more imprinted than he'd liked to think.

"You know I can cover us for a hotel if we need to?" She muttered as he pulled her close to him on a carriage, looping a protective arm around her waist as it started to move.

"I know," He agreed, his eyes scanning the faces around them. "It's fine." He added after a small pause, "You know I wouldn't ask you to run away with me if I didn't have things sorted."

She looked up at him and didn't say anything, holding onto his waist for the next 20 minutes until he guided her off the train and up the escalator at Astor Place. They only walked for another five minutes, Caleb following the map on his phone, until he stopped her in front of a dingy looking door.

He dialed a number on his phone and held it against his ear, muttering a "Yo," when whoever was on the other end picked up. "I'm here."

Hanna stood silently as he hung up and began to tap his foot impatiently, only relaxing when the door suddenly opened and a tattooed girl appeared, pulling him into a tight hug, "Caleb," She smiled at him, squeezing his sides, "You've been a complete shit since running off to Philly."

"Trust me," Caleb muttered as he separated, "It wasn't my choice."

"And you must be Hanna," The dark haired woman turned to the blonde, "C won't stop dropping your name in when he finally replies to my messages."

Caleb couldn't help but role his eyes, "Hanna this is Maya, Maya this is Hanna."

"Hi," Hanna smiled tentatively, relaxing a little as Maya gave her a hug too.

"You guys don't have much stuff," Maya commented, looking at the two bags Caleb had as she let them inside and led them up two flights of stairs.

"People don't know we're here," Caleb reminded her of their previous conversation.

"That's right," Maya sent them both a playful pout as she opened up the key to her small loft apartment, "You're two star-crossed lovers who can't tell the world you're together because it goes against the rules," She sighed, spinning around dramatically, "How romantic," She said sarcastically.

"Don't be a dick," Caleb warned her, throwing the bags down next to the small sofa. "How you affording this place?" He glanced around, taking in the small studio, "Fucking your landlord or something?"

"Well my landlord's a guy so no," Maya rolled her eyes at his defensive behaviour, "Hanna," She took pity on the silent teen, "Do you want a drink before I punch your boyfriend in the balls?"

"What do you want babe?" Caleb threaded a reassuring arm around her waist, "Maya's leaving soon so take advantage of her being polite whilst you can."

"Water would be great, thanks," Hanna said quietly, sending her a smile. She watched her move around her tiny kitchen, pulling two glasses down from a cupboard before filling them with water from the tap. Her eyes dragged down her tattoo sleeve, trying to figure out all the different pieces of art that mixed together - maybe that was how her and Caleb knew each other. She froze as she caught sight of the same name she'd seen etched on Caleb's body. _Kennedy_. There it was in big black curvasive writing, right along her forearm. She knew Kennedy too – whoever Kennedy was.

"So Caleb told me you're a designer," Maya started, pulling Hanna from her reverie.

"Trying to be," She smiled a little. "Parsons have an open day tomorrow," She added, glancing across at Caleb, "So… that's why we're here."

"You know Caleb told me he'd never come back to New York," Maya tilted her head as she sent her a knowing smile, "It must really be love if he's willing to be here after everything that hap…"

"Maya," Caleb growled, cutting her off.

"So you haven't told her?"

"Maya I swear to god."

"And that's my cue that I have to go," Maya tossed her hair over her shoulder as she shook her head at Caleb, "My date for the weekend is expecting me."

"Good," Caleb told her.

"You have my place for two nights," She dropped her keys on the countertop. "Change the sheets before I come back and don't use all my weed." She grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder, grabbing her coat before she sent them both a short wave and walked out.

Hanna took a short sip of her water before pouring the rest of it down the drain. Suddenly she wasn't so thirsty any more. "So…" She trailed off, turning around to rest against the counter as Caleb headed for the bed. "How do you know… Maya?"

Caleb sighed as he took a seat and collapsed back against the mattress, rubbing his eyes, "Maya St. Germain," He shook his head to himself as he muttered her name, "She was my foster sister for a while," He explained, finding the energy to sit up again, "She's a dick."

"She's letting us stay in her place," Hanna reminded him, "Seems kind of nice to me."

"Okay she can be a dick," Caleb conceded, holding his hand out for her, "But I guess I can be too," He shrugged, pulling her onto his lap when she got close enough. "You okay here?" He murmured tenderly, "I know it's not the Ritz or anything."

"Then it's a good job we're not in Paris," She whispered, giving him a gentle kiss before sending him a sweet smile that made him remember everything was okay. "I'm gonna grab a shower," She told him, standing and reaching for her bag. "Do you think we're okay to use her towels?"

"She won't care," He told her, watching as she pulled her top and jeans off before heading towards the door she assumed led to the bathroom in her underwear. She'd put weight on, he noticed, as he took in her fuller curves. And she looked damn good.

He grunted a little as he felt his dick twitch at the sound of the water running and the image of her naked body filled his mind. He wanted her all the fucking time. "Fine," He gave in, tossing his own clothes off before he followed the direction she'd taken, quietly opening the door before pulling back the shower curtain to grab her attention.

"Caleb!" She gasped, a hand to her chest as he took her by surprise. "Don't do that," She told him as he climbed in and pulled her back against his chest, both of them under the spray.

"What?" He asked as one hand immediately cupped her breast, the other running down her flat stomach to trail between her legs. She said nothing, just bit her lip as his fingers ran through her folds and back again to find her clit where he began to play with her.

She relaxed back against him and felt him already poking her butt, discovering a new found feeling of contentedness at the thought that she made him that way.

She reached a hand back to play with his dick as his lips found her neck and began to suck, eventually trailing their way up towards her mouth where he immediately pushed his tongue into her mouth. She groaned, dropping his cock as he spun her around and bent his legs a little so that he could run his head along her slit. She opened her legs a little, clinging onto him as she felt him push the tip of him into her before withdrawing and going back to teasing her folds again.

He did the same thing over and over until it wasn't enough anymore and one of the hands holding her face in front of his trailed down to cup her breast again, tweaking her nipple before he reached for her leg and pushed it up so that he could position himself properly.

She gasped as she felt him right there again, before he finally sank into her, both of them throwing their heads back as the familiar sensation of each other took over their bodies.

His hand moved to the wall, resting flat to give him leverage as the other pulled her closer to him. "Fuck," He muttered, resting his forehead on the cold tiles over her shoulder as he tried not to let loose straight away. She was so tight and wet that every time he pushed into her he felt like he was about to blow his load straight away like it was his first time.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, one trailing down his back before coming to rest on his shoulder as he began to move inside of her. "Caleb," She moaned as he began to fuck her hard, taking and taking from her body until she felt like he owned every part of her.

He was so hard, so deep inside of her that he felt he was about to drown in her; sucking him in until he couldn't breathe by himself. He thrust quickly, his thumb finding her clit against as they desperately sought their release. It was wet and fast, both of them grunting in each other's ears as Caleb guided them through the rolling waves of desperate sex. She groaned louder, "Yes," She muffled her voice against his neck as he suddenly hit that spot.

"Han," He moaned again, "You there?" He gasped for breath as he felt the coil inside him beginning to tighten and tighten.

"Yes," She breathed, her eyes squeezed shut as shoved his hand away from her and replaced it with her own fingers on her nub.

"Fuck," He picked her up instead, pinning her against the tiles as he suddenly erupted inside of her, burying himself deep as she tightened around him and began to come.

"Oh my god," Her chest heaved, the water trickling down her breasts as they both tried to make the high last as long as they could, "Caleb," She muttered his name over and over as she held him against her, squeezing her inner muscles around him until he finally pulled out and set her down on her own two feet.

She fell against his chest as he moved them back under the spray, cupping her cheek as he pressed a hard kiss against her lips before she pushed his mouth away so that she could breathe again by herself.

He glanced down at her as the water ran down both of their bodies. She was everything. And she had absolutely no idea.

Suddenly he felt an undeniable need to tell her, to make her understand what she did to him every single moment of the day. "Maya's right," He whispered as she clung to him, both of their hair sticking to their slick skin as the stream of water began to turn lukewarm and their lungs filled with air again.

"About what?" She asked, her mouth against his heart. "Caleb?" She tilted her head to look up at him, wanting him to tell her everything he could ever think of.

"I think I love you."

* * *

Back in Rosewood, Helen Ackard stalked up the stairs after giving her daughter time to think about what had happened that afternoon at school. She noticed Caleb's door was unusually wide open and paused to check it was empty before heading further down the hallway to the six-year-old's bedroom.

She looked at the shut door that had the latest attempt at drawing a family of horses stuck on it. What had happened to her sweet little girl who just wanted to play happy families with her toy ponies? Never in a million years had she expected her to hit a boy in her class. She was going to find out exactly what was going on...

And yet as she walked into the messy bedroom, that was suddenly the last thing on her mind.

"Penny…"

* * *

 **My my... review?**


	14. XIV

Sorry for being an atrocious updater. Haleb feels are still there... I promise.

* * *

 **XIV**

* * *

"You think you love me?" Hanna almost couldn't find her breath as her heart ached for air, repeating Caleb's words back to him. Her throat was dry, her voice raspy and her fingers trembling as she forced herself to look up at him as the water continued to fall around them.

His eyes were worried, staring into hers as his brain caught up with his mouth. "I…" He stuttered, his eyebrows dipping as he frowned before swallowing uncomfortably, "Yeah…"

"Like," She frowned too, "…Kennedy?"

"What?"

"Whose Kennedy?" She stared up at him, not missing the flicker of pain that crossed his face. "Who is she Caleb?"

Suddenly his mouth was like a desert and his heart was racing a million miles an hour, "She…"

"I want to know everything about you," She whispered, her eyes flickering shut as she rested her forehead against his cheek, the spray from the shower rolling down her body, "And I know she means something."

"I can't talk about it," He finally found his voice.

"Fine," She pulled away from him, hurt suddenly running through her veins. She didn't understand why he wouldn't open up to her, when she felt like she bared her soul to him.

"Hanna," He reached for her as she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, quickly wrapping it around her body.

"No," She snapped, jerking away from him, "Don't treat me like that," She said, before she disappeared out of the bathroom and left him there to process his thoughts.

"Fuck," He whispered underneath his breath, reaching his fist out to slam one of the bathroom tiles. "Don't be a dick," He muttered, running a tense hand down his face before he shut off the water and followed her out, shoving a towel around his waist.

He found her sitting on the bed, the towel wrapped tightly around her as she stared at her phone. He stalked over to her, squatting down in front of her and trying not to roll his eyes as she deliberately turned her head away from her.

"Hanna." He tried, but she kept her eyes away from him. "Hanna," He said again, placing a hand on her bare leg.

"I don't want you to tell me everything," She whispered sharply, their eyes finally meeting, "But I would tell you _anything_ ," She told him meaningfully, "If you asked me."

"I know," He blinked his eyes shut, before he stood and began to pace. After a minute of her watching him burn a hole in the carpet, he spoke. "I'm fucked up Han," He started, running a tense hand through his wet tendrils of hair. "And it's hard, okay? It's really fucking hard for me to go back there."

"Back where?" Hanna asked, tears infiltrating her voice, "I give myself to you," She cried quietly, "Like you _own_ me and I don't even know where back is."

He stopped to look at her, something in him breaking at the sight of her almost-silent tears. He moved forward, kneeling as his voice broke, "It's really hard," He trembled; it was the only word he could think of to describe what was going on in his brain. "I want to tell you, I do," He promised as she fell against him and began to cry against his neck, "But it's hard."

She held him for a moment before she sniffled and pulled back, cupping his cheeks. His eyes closed at her touch as her thumbs caressed his skin, "Start with the easy part," She whispered comfortingly.

He took a deep breath, opening his eyes to pool into hers, "What if there is no easy stuff?"

"Then I'm here anyway."

He stood and kissed her cheek, and she thought for a moment that he was pulling away from her. That this was the end of everything they'd had together. "Put some clothes on," He told her gently, heading towards his own bag to pull out a pair of old sweatpants.

She didn't move and watched him, sniffling occasionally as she waited to see what he was doing. "Put some clothes on and lay with me," He told her again, climbing onto the bed behind her and laying his head on one of the pillows.

She stood silently, turning her towel-clad figure away from him as she pulled on one of his jumpers that she'd stolen and a pair of her sleep shorts. He held his arm out for her as she moved onto the comforter, wrapping it around her waist to bring her close to him as she settled down.

"Sometimes I look at you," He started quietly, "And think this isn't real." He took a deep breath, "Because something tells me that it's too good to be true," He murmured, staring into her eyes.

"I'm here," Hanna promised him, lacing one of their hands.

There was a silence between them as Caleb looked down at their intertwined fingers, slowly running his thumb over hers. He breathed again, drawing from her strength before he began to speak, "The first time I saw a guy raise his hand I was six-years-old. First time I had a door slammed in my face, I was seven."

He stopped and she pressed her lips against his naked shoulder, whispering, "I'm sorry," against his quickly drying skin.

"I didn't know it," He muttered, "But those were the nice homes," He shrugged, taking a shaky breath. "When I was 13, I became sick of it and pushed my social worker to let me come to New York and start again. I was desperate to get out of Connecticut – I hated school and was already getting caught up with people I shouldn't have been."

"Why New York?" Hanna asked, confusion sweeping across her brow as she processed everything he was telling her.

"It was the place my Mom dumped me," He avoided looking at her as he said the words. It was harder than he'd thought to be vulnerable.

"Oh."

"I know," He muttered, "But that's another story," He shook his head, deflecting her inquisitive look, "My social worker agreed when I got caught with weed on me for the second time in a week in my first semester of eighth grade," He smirked, not missing the roll of Hanna's eyes.

"Anyway," He sighed, "Before I knew it, I was being lumped with some jack shit family up in Queens."

"Were they worse?" She asked tenderly, stroking his side.

He sighed again, deeply, "The worst I've ever had," He muttered quietly, "But there were three of us," He added, "And we were in it together."

"You…"

"Me, Maya and Kennedy," He trailed off, lifting his arm slightly to glance at the two names that were etched onto the back of his ribcage forever. Kennedy had taught him to love again. And Penny was teaching him that loving someone didn't have to end in pain. So was Hanna.

Caleb opened his mouth to continue when the ringtone for his phone suddenly pierced the air, making both of them jerk at the sudden interruption. He sat up, scooting down to riffle through his jeans that had been left in a crumpled heap on the floor to find the source of the offensive intrusion.

"It's Helen."

"Probably wants to see how your camping trip is," Hanna sent him a tentative smile, sitting up as he ended the call without answering.

"Probably," He shrugged, crawling back and throwing his phone onto the bedside table before he turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

"What are you thinking?" She interrupted his thoughts, prompting him to turn onto his side again as his finger reached out to play with a piece of hair framing her face.

"I'm thinking about you," He whispered, "About Maya. About Kennedy."

For the first time, there was a comfortable silence. He'd shared a piece of him that he'd never done before; it was more than Hanna had wanted. She'd asked; he'd given.

"If Kennedy's still in New York, why don't we see her? We can go on Sunday," Hanna suggested tentatively. She wanted him to heal, just like she was.

"We can't do that."

And just like that, it felt like his walls were up again.

"I'll be there with you," She promised, "We can go up to Queens."

"We can't do that."

"We can find her," Hanna tried, "Or if we need more time, I can skip out of the open day early tomorrow."

"You're not doing that."

"We can ask Maya."

"We _can't_ do that." Caleb's voice became strained and he scrunched his eyes shut as he turned away from her again.

Hanna paused for a moment, before she sat up.

"Why not?" She pushed him. She wanted to help him see the person who meant enough for him to get their name tattooed on his body.

"Because Kennedy's dead Hanna. And there's no way I'm ever seeing her again."

* * *

In Rosewood, Helen Ackard stood anxiously by the kitchen counter as two members of the Rosewood Police Department interviewed her husband about their daughter's last whereabouts. Why, when she needed them the most, were both Sean and Caleb proving to be uncontactable?

"Mom?" The front door opened and slammed shut, and she sighed with slight relief that Sean was in fact home in one piece. "Why is there a police car out the front?" He yelled, moving into the kitchen.

"Sean," Helen moved towards him, pulling him in for a tight hug.

"What's going on?" He asked again, glancing at the two officers sat at the kitchen table with his father. "Where's Penny?" He looked around, expecting his little sister to be scampering around like she usually did.

"Penny's missing," Helen gasped, holding her chest as she tried to force the tears to stop. "Where's Caleb?" She asked, "Did you see him at school?"

"I saw him this morning," Sean answered suspiciously. "Why? And what do you mean Penny's missing?"

Helen waved him off, "I can't get hold of him and I want him to come home."

"He's probably tutoring Hanna or something," Sean brushed her off. "But Mom, Penny's missing?"

"No," She shook her head again, unable to untangle her thoughts, "He said he was having a camp out with Noel and the boys tonight. Maybe he doesn't have signal…"

"Mom," Sean snapped, taking in her trembling hands. "What's going on? Where's Penny?"

"She's gone," Helen whispered. "She's gone."

* * *

"Kennedy's dead?" Hanna paused, taking in the tense outline of the muscles in Caleb's back.

"I can't talk about this anymore," Caleb let out a strangled noise, standing up and running a stressed hand through his quickly drying hair. "I need a smoke," He muttered, riffling through his backpack to find his packet of cigarettes before he headed towards the window that allowed him to climb out onto the fire escape.

Hanna pursed her lips, nervously holding her hand against her mouth as she watched his retreating figure. She'd thought she'd cared and worried about Sean, but this… this was an all-consuming desire to protect and lo—. Her thought was interrupted again as Caleb's phone rung once more. Now wasn't the time for Helen to be checking in, she rued, switching off the device. They were off the grid for a reason.

She gathered herself and stood, heading towards the now-open window. "Caleb?" She called tentatively; the chill of the late afternoon air hitting her lungs. The lack of response didn't surprise her as she pulled the sleeves of his jumper down over her hands and stepped out too, settling silently on the ledge and wrapping her hands around him from behind as the smoke from his cigarette permeated through the thick air.

"I fucking hate this place," He muttered, staring out at the street below as his legs dangled over the side.

"Then why'd you say we should come?" She murmured, resting her cheek against his toned back.

He raised a hand to intertwine his fingers with hers whilst the other brought the cigarette to his lips. "You confuse the shit out of my brain."

She smiled to herself, stroking her thumb over his. "Thanks."

"Why'd you come with me?"

"Because I trust you." She said simply.

"Why?"

"No one's ever cared about what I want before," She replied, her free hand dropping down to stroke his chest. "But you do." Silence settled around them for a moment. "What do _you_ want?"

"I want someone who cares about what I want," He stubbed out the butt of his cigarette.

"I care."

He tilted his head to glance at her, "You care about a lot of people."

"I care the most about you," She said, reaching for the pack of cigarettes and lighter resting next to him.

He stood and turned to lean his back against the railing, taking Hanna in as she perched on the window ledge with a lit cigarette hanging out of her mouth. The things she did to him, he thought, looking up into the sky as he felt a drop of water hit his cheek.

"You're not speaking to other guys are you?"

"Caleb!"

"Sorry," He muttered under his breath, looking down at the floor as he folded his arms. "Just gotta check these things…"

"Well don't," She snapped, "When do you think I have time to speak to _other_ guys? When you're eating my face or my—?"

"Okay!" He held his hands up in mock surrender, cutting her off before she could finish as the rain began to fall. "I'm sorry, but I just…"

"You just what? What Caleb?"

"I meant what I said earlier, okay?" Their eyes met as their sky began to unleash on them. "I know I'm closed off and a dick and every other thing that's written in my social worker's file."

"Your social worker's a dick," Hanna retorted softly.

"But I swore I'd never come back here after Kennedy," He muttered, pushing his damp hair off his face, "And you... you make me forget all of that. But I can't let you in unless I know you're mine."

She stubbed out her cigarette and stood, moving into his arms as the rain hit their skin and their hair turned from damp to wet. He was cold and hurting and she wanted nothing more than to share his pain and fade the scars that marred his heart. She'd only just begun to realise how deep they really were.

"I'm yours."

He pulled her tight against his naked chest, a hand lacing through her hair to tilt her face up to his as the rain began to fall harder, just like her.

"I love you, Hanna."

She pressed a wet and tender kiss against his lips. This was all she'd ever wanted.

"I love you too Caleb."

* * *

In Rosewood, Helen Ackard could hardly process what was happening. Just as they were in the middle of organising a search party through the Church's network, Caleb's social worker, Louise, had made an unexpected appearance having been notified by the police of the missing child.

"This isn't the first time this has happened," The brunette guest spoke carefully as they all politely sat around the kitchen table, Helen flanked by her husband and son.

Helen narrowed her eyes. She had no time for this whilst her daughter was missing. "What exactly do you mean by 'this'?"

"There was an incident about 3 years ago, with Caleb and his foster family at the time."

"We know about this," Jonathan stepped in firmly. "We read his file and spoke to you before we took him in."

"Look, I'm just saying."

"Saying what?" Helen snapped. "That because his old foster sister died, so has this one?"

"N-no," Louise stuttered.

"Caleb loves Penny," Sean spoke tensely. "He'd never hurt her."

Helen shook her head and stood, pacing over towards the kitchen, "Sean please call him again. I want him at home."

There was silence as Sean dialed the number he'd already called half a dozen times. "No answer." He muttered after a few seconds of listening to the now-familiar opening of Caleb's voicemail. He was just about ready to throw it across the room in anger when it suddenly began to vibrate and ring in his hand.

"Who is it?"

"I... don't know," Sean stared at the number that wasn't saved to any of his contacts.

"Answer it." Jonathan demanded.

Sean wasted no time, moving the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Sean?" A familiar voice filtered through the handset.

"Emily?"

"Sorry to call you like this," Emily Fields rushed out, "I just wondered if you'd seen Hanna?"

"Emily, now's not really a good time..." Sean glanced up and stepped away from his parents who'd clearly lost interest once they'd realised it wasn't Caleb or someone with information on Penny.

"Or Caleb?" She asked unexpectedly, "Have you seen Caleb?"

"Why are you asking about Caleb?" He spoke quietly as he frowned; when had Emily and Caleb ever spoken?

"So Hanna's Dad has gone crazy because he found one of the portfolios she's been working on to send to Parsons and her Mom can't get hold of her."

"Right."

"So she called Mrs DiLaurentis because Hanna told her she was staying there tonight, but Alison had told her Mom that they were staying at mine and obviously nobody told me because yet again I was abandoned in Bio, so my Mom's totally blown her cover and now... Now we can't find her. But I thought you might know…"

"I'm sorry Em," Sean said, "I haven't seen her."

"And Caleb?"

"Emily, Penny's gone missing." Sean uttered the words that had haunted him since he'd walked into his home. "And we can't get hold of Caleb either."

"Penny's... missing?" Emily stammered.

"Did you say Hanna skipped Bio?" Sean ignored Emily's question. "She never skips class."

"I know…" She trailed off slowly, "Maybe her and Caleb went to work on their History project or something."

"Do you think Penny's with them? That they're all together?" He felt the emotions build up in the back of his throat and struggled to suppress them.

"I don't know Sean." She answered honestly.

"But they're just studying together, right?"

Emily paused for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal about something that Hanna and Caleb were clearly trying so hard to keep a secret. She'd do anything for her friends' happiness and was loyal until the end, but right now… right now there was a six-year-old girl missing. And that changed everything.

"Listen Sean. There's something you should know…"

* * *

 **So Kennedy's dead, Penny's missing and Emily's about to say something she shouldn't. If you want to find out how did Kennedy died, where Penny is and what exactly Emily is going to say, please review :) they are totally encouraging x**


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